Round and round the boundaries
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog entry asking a question: just how dead are David Cameron's plans to change parliamentary boundaries? Are they restin' or bleedin demised?
I was asking because a well-placed and usually very well-informed source had suggested that Mr Cameron hadn't given up on his plans - not just yet. With the Lib Dems no longer on side, came the suggestion, the Prime Minister was trying to stitch together a deal amongst the smaller parties.
He'd started with the SNP and ... then, last week, came this blog entry from my colleague Mark d'Arcy in Westminster. He put a lot more meat on the bones and from the possible role of the DUP in Northern Ireland to Plaid Cymru, he raised a whole lot of questions:
"Their support would not automatically bring their Plaid Cymru allies on board, not least because the review seems likely to cost them one of their three seats, and cut Welsh representation in Westminster by a quarter. But maybe an offer of greater powers for Cardiff might persuade them, plus the offer of a couple more Plaid peers to maintain their voice in Westminster? "
Yesterday ITV's Adrian Masters tweeted that he'd "heard speculation in W'minster today at govt/SNP/DUP/deal on parliamentary boundaries. Not sure re maths but intriguing it's being said".
"News to me" tweeted Jonathan Edwards MP in response, adding that Plaid "would require a significant transfer of powers for our votes".
By today, David Williamson reports in the the Western Mail that Plaid are "laying down a challenge to Mr Cameron on boundary changes." They're up for the discussion with Number 10 but only if there is a "a major, major" transfer of powers to the National Assembly.
Tomorrow, we find out the revised plans for redrawing the boundaries following a public consultation on the initial proposals issued in January.
Round and round we go.
The significant bit, of course, is just where we end up.