The self-importance of being Alun Davies

When Alun Davies was selected as the Labour's top candidate on the Mid and West Wales regional list last year, there was near-universal dismay amongst Labour members, Plaid members and media commentators.

Alun, you see, used to be a proud member of - and office holder in - Plaid Cymru. After falling out with his chums there due to his Neanderthal approach to female colleagues, lack of inter-personal skills and absence of political principle, Alun jumped on a train and moved to Cardiff to set up a public relations firm. In between drinking in Cardiff Bay pubs and losing staff at a rate of knots, Alan found time to fall out with almost every figure of importance in the Welsh media establishment, even taking time to launch legal proceedings against a few when they had the temerity to try and interview him. All in day's work for a PR guru like Alun. When business began to dry up, Alun had something of a Socialist awakening and decided to join the Labour Party. Using his not-inconsiderable personal wealth and a few outstanding favours, he then weaselled his way onto the Labour Party's regional slate. At the time, however, nobody had given any serious thought to him ever actually getting elected.

Fast-forward to the early hours of May 4th, and with Labour getting an absolute pummelling in West Wales, Alun was duly elected as the new Labour Member for Mid and West Wales. In fact, so dreadful was the result, the number two on Labour's list, Joyce Watson, got elected too. And so off Alun trotted to Cardiff Bay to start his new adventure.

And - who'd have thunk it - just two months in, he's already established himself as one of the Bay's least popular AMs. From any party. Ever. Which, taking into the account the very existence of David Davies, is something of an achievement. Whether it's patronising AMs of all Parties, setting himself up as some sort of political Oracle in committee meetings, acting as Rhodri's representative on earth at Labour Party meetings and flogging the coalition deal, or scaring the young ladies who work in the Assembly canteen with his weird eyes, Alun’s your man.

All of which begs the question – why has Rhodri been so quick to invite Alun into his well-established inner circle? One train of thought is that Alun is something of a ‘walking coalition’ himself, a perfect marriage of personal expediency and political vacillation. Another, quite possibly nearer the mark, is that though most of the Cabinet is willing to back the deal, no-one (with the exception of Jane Hutt) is keen on doing the rounds and selling it to members. Alun, desperate for friends, will do pretty much anything that Rhodri asks him to. Either way, there is currently only one thing that almost every member and staffer of each and every political hue in the Assembly currently agrees on - Alun Davis is a pratt.