What’s the deal with the Conservatives?

I’ve held off until now to comment on the goings on in the Conservative Party but with Alun Cairns new dual role as an AM and MP a direct result of Nick Bourne's insistence that he doesn’t want Chris Smart the next on the Tory Regional list to be an Assembly Member or in his group shows how off his political judgement is and has been since he got caught in the expenses storm a while ago that threatened his leadership of the Tory Group, and it seems Nick’s poor judgement has been spreading to the wider party.

The Welsh Conservative Board decision is just the latest in an already long line of gaffes, bad political decisions and insensitive moves that the Conservatives in Westminster and Cardiff Bay have offered their opponents on a plate to exploit since the new Government was formed, and in a part of the world where anti Tory sentiment is quite easy to stir even among non Labour and Plaid Cymru supporters the new Government needs to wake up and get smarter.

But Nick and his team in the Assembly aren't alone, the new Tory Secretary of State Cheryl Gillan is living down to expectations and making Peter Hain look good. As well as her referendum reply and the failure to sound at least semi-concerned about the cuts coming Wales way this year, she is also keeping her Special Advisor Sam Gibbs who worked with her in Opposition, he is someone I have been told knows very little about Wales and Welsh politics and needs a lot of informing on Welsh matters by Tory advisors in the Assembly – it’s no wonder Cheryl is looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

As Valleys Mam has said why isn’t Cheryl looking for a Welsh Conservative who knows a thing or two about Wales, Welsh politics and the way things work in Wales to counter some of the accusations that were around even before the Election campaign about her suitability.

The thing that would worry me if I were a Conservative is that there seems no obvious answer to rectifying the Party’s current problems, Cheryl Gillan is unlikely to be moved soon, Nick Bourne won’t go quietly and David Cameron for all his nice words was never interested in Wales or the Assembly only votes and seats in the General Election.

Their opponents they must think it’s Christmas we know Labour and Plaid Cymru are turning all their fire on the Liberal Democrats at the moment to try and unsettle them, but if the Tories carry on the way they are the Coalition partners in Cardiff Bay can leave them alone to dig their own graves and simply keep all the pressure on the Lib Dems resulting in the real possibility of cleaning up in next year’s in the Assembly Elections.

As for the Welsh Liberal Democrats they will have to hope the Conservatives avoid any more unnecessary gaffes and the traps set for them by Labour and Plaid Cymru or things could get very hairy for them both in the next 12 months.Any source