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Last Updated: Tuesday, 6 December 2005, 18:09 GMT
Baywatch with Adrian Masters
BBC Wales political reporter Adrian Masters
Tuesday 6 December
End of term, 007 and jungle queens

The first minister has been looking back and looking forward in his usual end-of-term retrospective.

Casting his eye over the first full term of minority government, Rhodri Morgan, seemed surprised to be able to say it was "one of the best weeks and one of the best end of terms that I can recall."

At the beginning of the term he said he wanted to do "more than just survive" but has been amazed, he said today, that the opposition parties haven't united to boot him out with a confidence vote.

His explanation? "They have the numbers, but not the unity of purpose."

Mr Morgan said the biggest cause for celebration was agreeing a budget that will deliver Labour's manifesto, although he confessed that at times during the negotiations over the last two months he thought it might not happen. "I've aged 10 years in the process," he admitted.

You could say that now that it's been agreed, the big question is: "Who's Budget is it anyway?"

Rhodri Morgan is clear - it's a Labour budget with a few nods to the opposition parties.

For those opposition parties though, it's less clear. In deciding to abstain tomorrow they clearly agree that it is Labour's budget.

But they want to claim credit for those areas they've changed.

Conservative leader Nick Bourne says the first minister is "delusional" and says the changes from the defeated draft budget to today's final plans were secured by opposition parties uniting to defeat the draft budget and holding "tough negotiations".

And Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones, while acknowledging that the final budget is mostly Labour's says the opposition parties have influenced a "significant slice of it this year."

He said they'd sent a message to the government that they'd be back next year with increased demands.

For the Liberal Democrats, Mike German said: "If it was Labour's budget it would have been agreed two months ago. He has been forced to make major changes over two months of negotiations to produce a budget that is acceptable to all parties in the assembly."


The United Opposition have been in action again today.

They supported a Conservative motion that will set up a new committee that in turn will make recommendations on ways of improving railway lines and passenger services in Wales.

The motion was passed despite the disapproval of the economic development minister who said it would simply duplicate work that was already being carried out.

And they ganged up again to back a joint motion condemning the home secretary's handling of police reorganisation.


Baywatch revealed yesterday that Plaid Cymru's bash this coming Thursday has a James Bond theme and that many of the male AMs were planning to throw on a tuxedo and hope to get away with it.

One exception could be the party's resident GP, Dr Dai Lloyd. The AM for South Wales West says he will write the word "no" on his forehead. If you're as slow as me, let me spell it out. He's going as "Dr No".

Jocelyn Davies says she will be wearing some gold paper wrapped around her finger. You can work that one out for yourself.


Welsh Conservatives have been voting ... but not necessarily for the Tory leadership.

At least one Tory AM voted for Carol Thatcher to win I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

The AM for South Wales East, Laura Ann Jones, told me she backed the former prime minister's daughter because she was an amazing character and not out of party political loyalty.

Mid and West Wales AM Glyn Davies' wife also voted for Carol Thatcher.

The party's leader in the assembly, Nick Bourne, did not vote for any of the celebrities because he says he's not a fan of the programme.


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