First Minister's Questions

Here we are , still relatively perky even though its gloomy January and the three party leaders square up to the First Minister leaning casually on his podium. Three balls each , who will bowl him out with a deadly, penetrating question? Or will they see the FM smash their query for six with that familiar dreaded answer in which he refers to that sacred document 'The Programme for Government.'

Today's subjects were Estyn and Exports. All the E's. But another E came into play as well this afternoon. E for Eavesdropping. Because for once, comments normally murmured sotto voice have been quite plain to hear.

Just now Ms Finch Saunders was heard to mutter in disappointed tones when the FM tried to answer her query, '' he doesn't know what I'm talking about '' I suppose we should be grateful that she didn't say that he doesn't know what HE'S talking about!

And later when RT Davies was on his feet talking about Trade Missions to Turkey and Dublin, the normally cool and suave Byron Davies was heard to yell to the FM '' Take him with you next time'' But, I'm ahead of myself.

Plaid leader, Leanne Wood was first up to pose questions on the Estyn report.

She wanted to know what the FM had to say in the light of poor PISA results and a less than glowing Estyn report when after all he had been Education Minister himself for three years. Oh dear ! Strike One ! Any factual mistake will be seized on. To his best recollection Carwyn Jones was only in the post for six and a half weeks. An easy rebut.

Her next question, resulted in a referral to another venerable document., The Literacy and Numeracy Framework. But her third question , led to a cry of '' When's your reshuffle, Carwyn?''