POLITICS FILE: Former PMs weigh in on Brexit

Last month Tony Blair was back on our screens telling us the British people voted to leave the European Union based on “imperfect knowledge”.

To be fair to him, when it comes to making world-altering decisions based on imperfect knowledge, there’s no one more qualified than the former Labour PM.

It’s nice to see he’s lost none of his political acumen though - clearly more than six months after a referendum is the right time to throw your hat in the ring.

Not be left out, his predecessor John Major also decided to have a go at his Tory party colleagues earlier this week, because of course they’re going to listen to the man who has languished in political obscurity since being turfed out of Downing Street 20 years ago.

It’s like the worst Michael McIntyre ‘all star’ Christmas special ever.

I’m seriously considering popping down the bookies to put a tenner on Gordon Brown feeling a bit left out and mumbling a few irrelevant soundbites to no one in particular about how the real Remain campaign begins now or something.

On the other hand, I’d quite enjoy it if ghost Churchill popped up like Alec Guinness in Star Wars and told us what he’d have done.

l On the subject of Brexit, last week I was searching through the Argus archive for an article I’d written last year, when I came across a Politics File from a few weeks before last June’s referendum in which I said I’d be happy when it was over and done with so we’d never have to hear about the whole ghastly business again.

How naive I was.

l Anyone tuning into First Minister’s Questions yesterday could have been forgiven for being slightly taken aback to see questions fielded not by everyone’s favourite weatherman lookalike, but leader of the house Jane Hutt.

Carwyn Jones was absent as he’s in America in the latest in what seems like an unending list of international trade missions aimed at boosting trade to Wales.

Along with Mr Jones’ jaunts across the pond, in the past few months alone economy and infrastructure secretary and proud owner of the most dazzling smile Wales Ken Skates has been pressing the flesh in both Japan and China, while environment and rural affairs boss Lesley Griffiths is spending St David’s Day in Dubai, which I’m sure is a hotbed of pro-Welsh culture.

While I’m not implying Jones and co are enjoying a series of taxpayer-funded holidays, although it would be hard to begrudge the first minister at least a few minutes to enjoy a New York bagel, it is reasonable to ask just how successful these trips are proving.

With Brexit on the horizon, it does seem sensible to do as much as possible to boost international trade both into and out of Wales.

But figures released by the Welsh Conservatives this week have shown exports to the US have in fact decreased by 48 per cent since the first minister made his first trip to America in 2012.

Whoops.

Maybe send Ken Skates instead next time.

l But it’s not all Brexit – spring conference season is upon us, with Plaid Cymru up first this year.

And, handily for yours truly, they’re holding the two-day event on Friday and Saturday at the Riverfront in the heart of Newport.

Needless to say, if you see a load of people dressed in green in the city centre at the weekend, that’s what it is.

Next week it’s the turn of the Liberal Democrats, who are holding theirs in the slightly less salubrious surroundings of a Swansea secondary school, while the Conservatives have gone all out, holding theirs at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff the week after that.

That said, in a stunning display of transparency, the Tories have taken the fairly baffling decision to ban the press and public from the second day of what their calling their ‘Spring Forum’, opening the doors to party members only. It’s almost like they’ve got something to hide.

Rounding off the month is Labour in Llandudno, so I’ve got a nice weekend by the seaside to look forward to.

Of course, this is Wales, so I’ll be bringing my waterproofs.