Â鶹Éç

"Carwyn" said Welsh Secretary Peter Hain first thing this morning "is very seized of the whole of the party focussing laser-like on one target over the next few months and that's winning the General Election. Frankly nothing else matters".

I'm sure the new Welsh Labour leader and soon to be First Minister will have heard the message.

Half an hour later, in a studio just down the corridor, I listened as Ieuan Wyn Jones made it quite explicit that for Plaid Cymru, Labour's coalition partners, Carwyn Jones' confirmation last night that he is fully committed to delivering a referendum on or before 2011 matters rather a lot. "We won't be sitting down and deciding on the date today or anything like that" he added lightly but his implication was clear enough: by next week, he fully intends the two Joneses now at the helm to be "seized" by that very issue.

Let's just remind ourselves that a few days ago, when the Welsh Secretary and outgoing First Minister said that with regard to a referendum, Welsh Labour would only step up "wider Party consultation with AMs and MPs, councillors, trade unionists and members as soon as the General Election is over" Plaid threatened to end the coalition.

Delivering on both fronts? Never easy.

Welcome to the job Mr Jones - oh and by the way, you might have heard that on Friday, there's

You might consider sending a colleague with a notepad and decent shorthand.

• Bookmark with:
• |
• |
• |
• |
• - What's this?