Brave new world
The allocation of chairmanships of Select Committees will be discussed in Westminster this morning and in one respect - and one only you suspect - Peter Hain, the former Welsh Secretary, is going to have to accept that David Cameron has not forgotten about Wales.
Divvying up who chairs which comittee now happens in a brave, new democratic world . Stitch-ups are out and a secret ballot of all MPs are in as a way of electing new committee chairs.
One thing we now know: the Welsh Affairs Select Committee will in future be chaired by a Conservative - the first ever Tory to sit in that particular chair. An unbroken chain of Labour chairmen that goes from Leo Abse in 1979 to Donald Anderson, Gareth Wardell who held the position uninterrupted for 14 years, Martyn Jones and Hywel Francis comes to and end.
Not even in 1983, when the Conservatives won their largest ever haul of seats in Wales - 14 - did one of them chair the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. But now they clearly do want it - I'm open to suggestions as to why - and given they're in charge, they get it.
The Scottish Affairs Select Committee chair? That remains in Labour hands.
Who'll get the job and the extra kudos/cash? Cue horse-trading.
Nominations open once the debate is done and dusted and a ballot will be held in fourteen days' time. Nominees need the signatures of fifteen supporting members from the same party and can also include the signatures of five elected members from other parties if they wish.
David Davies MP? As a member who was in the past offered "better gigs" than the Welsh Affairs Committee as a colleague puts it, that seems unlikely.
Stephen Crabb MP? He's a whip so he couldn't throw his hat into the ring, even if he wanted to.
Jonathan Evans MP? Doesn't an experienced 'retread' - that awful word - beat a new boy to the job - or is there a brave, new boy in a brave, new world who fancies making a name for himself?
UPDATE 14.00
My colleague, David Cornock, tells me Jonathan Evans has ruled himself out of the race, perhaps with his eye out for other opportunities to make a mark.
So doesn't that put David Davies firmly in the race after all? Perhaps the "gig" will appeal if there's a chairmanship involved?
Or will there be a push for what I'll call a more 'centrist' chair, even if that means a brand- new boy on the block climbing straight into the chairman's job?
I'm Betsan Powys, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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