Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Welcome Back, David Hunt.

In Wales we know Lord Hunt of the Wirral very well indeed. As David Hunt, he was Secretary of State for Wales for three years - and in my opinion, a very good one. Although he did not represent a Welsh constituency, the Wirral is pretty damn close. The whiff of muckspreaders in action on the Wirral can be detected in North East Wales when the wind is from the East. He's also a genuinely nice man, and he's been a good and loyal friend to me. David is living proof that politicians can be really good guys.

In John Major's government, he was recognised as a man to sort out a problem. Sometimes he was referred to 'Minister for Banana Skins' because of this reputation. He's been given a new challenge by David Cameron - shadowing the 'soon to be ennobled' Lord Peter Mandelson in the House of Lords. He will not be able to spend as much time in his role as Chair of Beachcroft LLP.

David has another contemporary link with Wales - Michael McManus, who has assisted Lord Roberts of Conwy to write the report on the future of Conservative policy in respect of devolution. Michael is another 'good guy'. He was a special advisor to David Hunt when he was Secretary of State for Wales, and still works in the same building - at least he did when I joined him for tea and a chat a few weeks back. This blog wishes David Hunt good luck in his new role.

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