One World

Betsan Powys|10:18 UK time, Friday, 30 April 2010

Ever had a deja-vu moment? A friend who waved goodbye to Wales recently and moved to the Middle East experienced one yesterday.

A headline reading "One Laptop Per Child reaches Gaza Strip" rang a bell. Wasn't there a similar "aspiration" in Wales once, he asked?

There was. It was a pledge in Plaid's manifesto for the Assembly election in 2007.

It led to young men on housing estates spotting Adam Price MP campaigning and calling out: "'Oy, where's my free laptop then mate?"

It was, said the other parties, an idea from "planet Plaid", one item on "the longest and most expensive wish list in Welsh political history".

For those who missed it - including my friend in the MIddle East - the One Wales laptop pilot was launched in March by the Labour Education Minister Leighton Andrews.

Not quite a laptop for every child in Wales yet. But one thing's for sure. If the Plaid pledge attracted derision for being over-profligate back in the good old days of plenty in 2007 ... how threadbare are the manifestos going to be for 2011 given the public spending squeeze coming rapidly down the track towards us.

Planet Prudence anyone?