Wednesday, October 04, 2006

The Cardiff Bay Quadrennial Handicap

Breaking News. 'New favourite for next year's big race'.

Latest odds
Labour/Plaid Coalition 7/4
Lib-Lab Pact 2/1
Rainbow Coalition 7/2
Labour Alone 10/1
50/1 bar

Heavy betting in the tearoom over the last few days has propelled the previously unfancied filly, Labour/Plaid, into the frame as favourite for next year's big race. The smart money is moving away from previous favourite Lib/Lab Pact, following questions about whether she has the legs to clear the last fence, Proportional Representation in Local Government. Coming up fast on the outside is Rainbow Coalition, following rumours from the Labour 'stable' that a few of the handlers fancy a spell in opposition. And some of the promising untested riders in the Labour stable are champing at the bit to take the reins, unseating Rhodri M, the increasingly fretched, knackered looking, current rider.
Race organisers are worried about public interest in the event because it’s a case of same old arguments and same old riders as in 2003. Jockey's colours have changed a bit. Rhodri M is still blood red even if a bit coagulated, Nick B is now racing in green and Ieuan WJ is now in daffodil yellow. Only Mike G is riding under the same 'every hue under the rainbow' colours as last time. Expect a big effort to sell tickets.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This reason this race is a handicap is because of the likely effect of each of the party’s .images, as seen through the eyes of the Welsh voter who can be bothered to vote.

Rhodri the Red for instance could cost his Party votes via the ‘German Tourist Syndrome’. He and his party have thrown their towels over the safe Labour sun beds of the Valleys, West and North Wales constituencies that they consider safe seats. But little does he realise that both the Plaid and Tory tourists have aims on some of these sun beds and are waiting to nick their towels.

Unfortunately for Plaid they have been unable to throw off their ‘Nationalist’ image even if their own poll tells them otherwise. This image is now only appealing to the die hard Plaid Cymruites.

The Tories have the millstone of still being seen as an old style Tory Party. No matter what they do or try to do it is an image that will be with him at all times. Perhaps the only saving grace for them is the fact that the image is softening around the edges but needs more work to become appealing to Joe Public as a betting proposition.

As for the Liberal Democrats – the I will work with anybody’s party for power – they have no chance of increasing their representation. And, you never know, they may even lose some seats which will decrease the size of their appeal even to Rhodri the Red.

The only real sure thing for the next Assembly Elections will be that there will be a new opposition in Cardiff Bay – and that’s where my money will be going