After two months of confusion, Labour & Plaid sign a deal

It’s now over two months since the Welsh Assembly elections, but finally a majority coalition government has been put together that sees the Welsh Nationalists in power at Cardiff for the first time, although Cabinet formation has been delayed by Rhodri Morgan’s visit to hospital.

It’s not uncommon for governments in some European countries to take 2-3 months to put together, and Wales did a fair impression of Austria or the Netherlands as the possible makeup of the new government moved through various permutations.

For a while it looked as though the “Rainbow Coalition” of Con-LD-Plaid might be a runner, and then there was a possibility that the Lib Dems might be in power with Labour. A Labour minority government was always the default “fallback” option, but now, following the SNP’s narrow but historic win north of the border, their cousins west of Offa’s Dyke have finally made it into government.

Now that all the dust has settled on the merry-go-round of talks between the various parties, the question is whether Labour and Plaid will be able to hold together the coalition for a full term until the next elections due in May 2011. Labour in particular will be looking nervously over their shoulders in seats with tiny majorities such as Delyn and the Vales of Clwyd and Glamorgan.

Please use this thread to continue the by-election debate.

Paul Maggs “Double Carpet”

Guest Editor

Mike Smithson returns on 16th July

Paul Maggs produces The Election Game – click on the logo to email for more info.