The Pretenders

"It’s an enormous test for devolution [this economic malarkey], a much bigger test than foot and mouth was. People just don’t realise what was done to try to keep the normality of life going in foot and mouth. That was what we thought of as a real test – were we capable? Animal health wasn’t devolved to us, but we had to pretend it was, because that’s what the people of Wales expected.

"A little like that today, we’ve got to just get on with the job of helping Welsh society."

Interesting insight into our First Minister's mindset here. Do we really expect Mr Morgan and the Assembly's other elected officials to pretend to be solving the economic crisis? Or does Mr Morgan just think that the people of Wales are too ignorant and ill-informed to know what the Assembly can and cannot do. And so just as one might humour a senile grandmother on Christmas Day, so Mr Morgan is trying to put a smile on our faces on Boxing Day by pretending to be doing something about the economy.

I can understand that, as our leader, he should want to wear a brave face and appear to be in control of events, thus increasing public confidence and hopefully encouraging high-street spending. However, does not coming out and admitting as much in the "National Newspaper of Wales" undermine his tactics?

Incidentally, who knows how deeply-rooted the make-believe-syndrome is in our political institution? Maybe Nick Bourne thought he was only spending Monopoly money...

What do you think?

Dewi Dau