Back in the fold
There was, said David Cameron at the Tory Party Conference last month, plenty of time in which to consider whether Alun Cairns should be reinstated as the party's parliamentary candidate in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Three weeks turned out to be plenty of time. He's been reinstated and returns to the shadow cabinet as Shadow Local Government Minister.
It will hardly be a surprise to anyone who knows him that Alun Cairns is "pleased this issue has been resolved and hope people will now judge me on my actions.
"I know I have a huge amount of work to do in the Vale of Glamorgan and look forward to working with the community to explain how Conservative policies can make a positive difference to their lives.
He also looks forward to returning to terrier duties, or as he puts it "holding the Labour-Plaid Cymru government to account for the woefully inadequate way in which it is funding councils across Wales next year."
There'll be few who won't welcome him.
So that's why 'the school inspector' was in town yesterday.
UPDATE:
Welsh Labour's 'welcome' clearly avoids attacking the man but goes instead for the party and the principle: "
"This decision shows the true face of the Conservative Party under David Cameron, which is the same old nasty party we know them to be. Cameron is incapable of taking tough decisions - as this decision proves. This novice like approach, flip flopping from one position to another is not what this country needs in these difficult times. The Tories simply can't be trusted".
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
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This decision was hardly surprising. Even during his 'suspension', Cairns regularly went on about Vale matters in the Assembly (even though he doesn't represent the area in his South Wales West region) and this demonstrates the fact that the Conservatives were worried that they couldn't find a decent replacement candidate and that they had already invested so much of Lord Ashcroft's cash in promoting Cairns in John Smith's constituency.
I think we can safely assume that most Tories thought the Vale was in the bag for the next General Election. Now that Cairns' record and judgement have both been brought into question, I predict it will be a lot harder than the Blue Brigade think.
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Alan Cairns should be "judged" by his actions"...OK...he wears absurd BIG pin-stripe "banker" suits with horrible check shirts and should therefore be hung from Penarth Pier. As an example to others. (Tories).
Although...I care little for this "Taffia" stuff (Hail, Sir Karl Francis) as I now spend most of my "free" time on the Russian ocean-going skip, "The Oily Oligarch" along with HRH Petra Mandelson, Etonia D' Rothschild and Davinia and(gorgeous) George Osborne. The UK political "fixer class" sur Med. Discussing the existing late fuedalism of the UK political class and how very good (super rich) it is for US...
HEy...Wanna buy a small country...Wales?
Talk to my agent.
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"This decision shows the true face of the Conservative Party under David Cameron, which is the same old nasty party we know them to be. Cameron is incapable of taking tough decisions - as this decision proves. This novice like approach, flip flopping from one position to another is not what this country needs in these difficult times. The Tories simply can't be trusted".
The pot calling the kettle black. I couldn't agree more. The New Labour tories can't be trusted, either.
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BoredintheVale05 is right, the fight for the Val seat at the next Election will be very tight, even without the light breeze (note not storm) around Alun's comments. Most people within the Vale won't care too much about what he said. What the real problem for the Vale is the Conservative run council doing. They can destroy Alun's hopes of a Election win more than he can. Cemetrary approach is the main problem.
Going back to what I said in June, Alun should never have been suspended. He resigned his posts, an act to placate the pontificating of some Labour and Plaid members. And I as I found out at the time the term Grasy Wop is up there as a national insult with Taffy or Jock. How many times have we heard the need for someone outside Wales being urged, or even volunteering to quit, after using this language.
Like the George Osbourne story its a non-starter and didn't deserve the attention it received.
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Alan Cairns says ........
"He also looks forward to ...... holding the Labour-Plaid Cymru government to account"
..... that shouldn't be to difficult.
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Betsan:
It must be nice to be back in the fold!
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Great news that Alun has been reinstated. It's now goodbye to John Smith and Cairns will make a superb MP.
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Let me get this right ? Labour are STILL trying to make political capital out of the asinine remark, albeit made in jest about 'greasy wops' ?
No one thinks that was a smart thing to say, but in this country we have a tradition that when someone apologises unreservedly for something, we generally forgive them and move on.
People make all sorts of remarks about others when at football and rugby matches which might not meet the normal standards of civilised conversation, but are we going to start reporting them to the authorities ?
There is a more serious point here. In modern society terms like 'disabled' or 'visually impaired' are considered the correct terminology. Many in the public sector would consider terms my parents use like 'blind' or 'handicapped' beyond the pale. Despite many 'visually impaired' people describing themselves as 'blind'.
If we don't forgive and forget remarks such as Alun Cairns, how long before other non - PC language results in us being hauled up before the criminal courts ?
Of course I am not advocating that people have carte blance to use racially offensive language where it is clearly intended to annoy or harass, or could even incite others parties to a breach of the peace.
But making a mountain out of a molehill, for political gain, makes a mockery of building a more tolerant society anyway. Witness the sledgehammer to crack a nut over Janet Street-Porter and Anne Robinson's remarks. Let's lighten up folks !!!
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"And I as I found out at the time the term Grasy Wop is up there as a national insult with Taffy or Jock. How many times have we heard the need for someone outside Wales being urged, or even volunteering to quit, after using this language."
Yes but Italy is an actual country which is respected and considered more often by Westminster than Wales is.
And the George Osbourne story is a starter because it wasn't just a comment on a radio show based on sports, it was hanging out with a Rusian billionare. But I personally am more worried about that Mr Mandelson was doing there, him being the EU trade commissioner and all that.
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At last! Alun has a chance to go after the job he REALLY wants again.
From the Alun Cairns website:
"Alun Cairns is the Parliamentary Candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan. He is an Assembly Member and lives with his family on the Western end of the constituency, in Ewenny."
Why is being a member of our national assembly less important to him than being a mere candidate for parliament? After all, anyone with £500 and 10 friends can be one of those!!! Someone remind me why we're paying this man to 'represent' South West Wales in the Assembly when his own party's statement describe him as a campaigner for the Vale of Glamorgan.
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I agree with ElunedP.
If there's any justice Cairns should have his Assembly salary slashed by the amount that the Tories spend on promoting him in the Vale each year (and maybe end the 12k expenses he claims for his flat in Cardiff Bay too when he only lives half an hour away).
Here's to John Smith MP sending this little weasel back to the Assembly with his tail between his legs, like he deserves.
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