Christmas wish-lists
So playing the iPod shuffle wasn't deemed to be enough.
Within twenty-four hours of making donations to their chosen charities, Nick Bourne and Alun Cairns had to up the contrition ante and pay back the hundreds of pounds claimed for their iPods to the public purse.
If Nick Bourne believes that will be enough to save his skin in anything like the long-term -and beyond Christmas has felt like long-term this week - then he must, by now, be alone. The briefing that his time is up hasn't been silenced, nor the jostling in the race to succeed him.
Karl Williams, Wales' political betting guru to those who don't know him, has come up with odds on who takes over when Mr Bourne goes:
11/10 Fav - Jonathan Morgan
7/2 - David Melding
9/2 - Angela Burns
11/2 - Paul Davies
13/2 - Andrew Davies
10/1 - Darren Millar
12/1 - Alun Cairns
16/1 - William Graham
25/1 - Mark Isherwood
25/1 - Nick Ramsay
25/1 - Brynle Williams
If Mrs Isherwood and Mrs Williams have been wondering where to put their money in the current economic climate, they might be tempted to take a punt on their husbands. Then again they'd probably be better off sticking to a 'punt' too if I were them - or to translate from the Welsh, a pound.
Or they might spend it on the Christmas edition of the Big Issue where Assembly Members have been asked to outline their Christmas wish amongst other things.
Nick Bourne's?
"My Christmas wish is for a peaceful and secure Christmas and 2009 for all. January 1st is my birthday so New Year's resolutions are not usually on my mind."
Not usually.
Incidentally: remember that other Christmas wish I mentioned? The Plaid official and the Welsh Language LCO?
An informal chat with one Welsh Labour MP in Westminster this week is worth noting:
When will the LCO finally reach the end of its journey then d'you think?
This I can promise you: you'll be asking me exactly the same question at the Christmas do next year!
His message? Now is not the time to put any more pressure on Welsh businesses. Prepare to redraft.
I'm Betsan Powys, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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