Cheryl Gillan...Champion Of Wales? I Don't Think So

Hello there. hope you're feeling well today.

I did not expect, being as I am in Essex for the foreseeable future until my mother is well, to be writing about Welsh politics on New Years Eve ("how saddo a thing to to is that!" you will say and yes you'd be right but if I have anything on my hands for the moment it's time) but there you go.

It wasn't even the news that former Secretary of State for Cheryl Gillan was going to become a Dame under the New Years Honours List. I don't care for the system of honours but it wasn't worth a blog post. No what made me put finger to keyboard came from of course Twitter and specifically the account of the Welsh Conservatives which, whilst congratulating Ms Gillan for the "honour", described her as a "Champion Of Wales".

So let's be clear what this "Champion of Wales"has done.

1) Though born in Cardiff she is an MP for Chesham and Amersham, in Buckinghamshire since 1992 which, for those without a keen knowledge of geography is in England.

2) Rail Electrification Of The South Wales Main Line. This promised electrification of the line has stopped at Cardiff. Even though it happened after David Cameron kicked her out as Sec of State did we hear Cheryl fighting tooth and nail for Wales as a true champion would? What do you think?

3) Reduced funding for the Welsh Language channel S4C. In an age where the channel needs help in this multi-channelled age (my previous posts refers) she was quite happy to kneecap it. Not the action of a true champion of Wales.

4) She did set up the Silk Commission on future Welsh Devolution. But that would have been set up if anyone was Secretary of State at that time.

5) There was a Welsh Office Green paper in 2012 that if successful would have reduced the number of constituency Welsh Assembly members. A proposal that apparently even Tories in Wales disapproved of.

That's not even discussing the non specifically Welsh issues that surrounded her career.

So if you're looking for a Champion of Wales a Tory emigre in Buckinghamshire is really not the person you should be looking at.

Until the next time.