The Tanned One Jumps.

The news from the Western Mail is that the "The Tanned one" Peter Hain has resigned as Shadow Welsh Secretary to campaign for the building of a Severn Barrage,.

This has been triumphant by the "Mule" as an exclusive but since Hain claims he told Labour Ed Miliband of his plans Last Christmas it couldn't have been mush of a secret in the Westminster Bubble.

Indeed inside and outside f Westminster  has been speculation that since the  vote in the Autumn party conference to end party elections to the shadow cabinet  The Labour leader, now has a free hand in selecting  his Shadow Cabinet and  means that Miliband is no longer faced with having only one elected member of the Shadow Cabinet from a Welsh Constituency as often happened to offer the position as shadow Welsh Secretary which lets face is  is not one of those jobs desired by those seeking a position at the Cabinet Table.

It is highly likely that Miliband was already eyeing up Ogmore MP Huw Irranca-Davies and Cardiff West 's Kevin Brennan for the job or even Pontypridd new boy Owen Smith (but this would be a rapid promotion )

My bet however unless he gets a  job in the Shadow Cabinet of higher status (basically anyone)  would be Rhondda's Chris Bryant.

But given the standard of most Labour MPs's its a small pool of real talent

Who ever it is don't expect any move to call for greater powers for the Assembly or any measures that might weaken the Welsh Secretary's position even if its the hapless Cheryl Gillian (who's probably next to go). They will be looking for the time when they achieve that position.

So it seems that Hain decided to jump before he was pushed and it is interesting that the Mule has not speculated on it. but it rapidly becoming little more than  a "Cheer Sheet" for Labour so no surprises.

Indeed the exclusive is no more than a lazy rehash of the press release from Hain's Office.

Although Hain said he wanted to contribute more on wider policy issues, notably Africa, it is strange that he doesn't see the position of Shadow Cabinet Secretary as the ideal position to fight for the Severn Barrage.

Hain will probably try and establish himself as leading Welsh Labour Statesmen until his retirement from the Commons and he says goodbye to Wales and Neath to seek a lucrative future elsewhere.

The sad thing is that Hain's departure from the Shadow Cabinet and Gillian's likely on delayed the fact Cameron can't reshuffle until after Leveson's inquiry ends (no point in reshuffling if Leveson then prompts resignations) . and Cameron has even a smaller pool of Welsh MP's of quality than Labour.

The fact is whoever gets to be Secretary for State in the future  soon will not make a jolt of difference to Wales  as both  whether Labour at Tory Welsh Secretary . The former view the Nation  as a vote machine and the latter as a nuisance,.and the person representing Wales in the Cabinet (or rather the other way round  who will be eagerly  for promotion to a Cabinet post with staus will spend most of the time trying to give the impression they are are of importance wakes  and resitting any moves that will undermine this.