The Tanned Ones not Dead he's just retiring.

Even a Obituary may have been less sycophantic than David Williamson's  piece on Peter Hain's announcement in the Wasting  Mule

The exit of Peter Hain from the Commons marks a changing of the guards in Welsh Labour politics.
His true successor has yet to emerge. He or she will be a passionate champion of their constituency, a formidable political strategist and an MP who combines a love for Wales with a vision for change on the UK and world stage.

His years as an anti apartheid campaigner were the springboard and foundation of his career in frontline politics.
Just as he had lived to see South Africa embrace democracy, he played a pivotal role in securing the astonishing peace deal in Northern Ireland that brought Sinn Fein and the DUP together in Government.
Such efforts may have won some of the biggest headlines of his career but he brought the simple belief that change is possible to many other areas of politics.
Whether fighting to improve miners' safety or campaigning to stop the closure of a local court, he knew how he wanted to change the course of events.
Some politicians revel in outsider status and shout from the sidelines but Hain did not become a Labour MP to be a prophet in the wilderness. He sought to win power so he could use it to change Wales, Britain and the world.
The breadth of his vision was demonstrated by the gusto with which he pushed for a Severn Barrage. Such a scheme may not have come off, but Hain has made his mark on the macro and micro level across this and other nations and his story is far from over.
Counterparts across the political divide privately express admiration for him. As an energizing force in Welsh politics and as a man who burns with a desire to transform his world, he will be missed.

Pass the sick bag Alice.

I admire Hain for his stand against Apartheid but his years as one of Blair's stoutest supporters have diminished  much of the Progressive Idealism of his youth and have left him tainted.

And his support for the Severn Barrage and the company that promoted it Corlan Hafren, was con not universally supported with many concern with it environmental impact.

As for his seeking to change Wales, my view has that after the Assembly was created he did his best to prevent further powers being devolved 

Peter Hain  was the  former Secretary State of Wales who tried credit for the 2011  referendum that allowed Law Making powers even though he had passed doubt on it and didn't want it called when it did . 

Then tried to deny that the Act that he also claimed credit for was fundamentally flawed

Having a MP who is a high flyer even in the Shadow Government  may play well back in the constituency but at the end of the day Neath was only a base for Peter Hain's career he probably move away as son as the 2015 election is over never to return.

Will Neath now select a local candidate or will we see another Labour Apparatchik imposed.


I doubt if in 10 years there will be any real legacy of Peter Hain stint in Wales but then Wales and Neath were just as i said a base for his Political career and he could easily have represented Putney if in 1983 and 1987 if Labour had overcome its internal problems.

So farwell "Tanned One" but I very much doubt that you will be as missed as your ego or your friends at the Mule think.