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Welsh Affairs

My direct answer to the hon. Gentleman is that we are campaigning for a majority Welsh Labour Government. As he has provoked me on that point, perhaps I might give a few quotes from his party leaders. The leader of Plaid Cymru in the Welsh Assembly, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said in an interview:"““I am perfectly prepared to lead a government—an alternative government to Labour—in the National Assembly””" When the interviewer asked him whether that would be a coalition Government, he replied:"““I am perfectly willing to do that.””" The only conceivable Opposition that Ieuan Wyn Jones wants to lead, as he told ““The Politics Show”” on BBC Wales on 10 December, is a Conservative-Liberal Democrat-Plaid Cymru coalition. That is the only alternative to Welsh Labour. After denying on ““Dragon’s Eye”” on BBC Wales on 22 February 2007 that Plaid Cymru would ever enter a Tory-led coalition, the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was challenged to rule it out categorically. His reply was very interesting:"““We will keep our options open…We will have to see what happens after the elections in May””."