Perplexed of Whitehall

The betting is that the 'Whitehall source' described as being "perplexed" by the Welsh Government plans to set up a London office has a desk located somewhere within a Grade 1 listed mansion located opposite Downing Street. 

Yet although some of the inhabitants of Gwydr House are said to be taking exception to the proposal, the politicians seem more equable. Some have chosen to report without actually commenting and others appear to be ignoring the decision altogether.

The unspoken consensus, even among ConDems, is that Mrs Gillan may be the Westminster government's representative in Wales but she is patently never going to be the Welsh government's representative in London – as displayed by her patronising references in a recent Welsh Affairs Committee to her provision of "a very nicely appointed office" for guest workers and how Welsh government ministers are "always welcome" to her department.

The Beeb helpfully adds insult to condescension by quoting a nameless government mouthpiece who uses some rather uncivil service-like language about the detriment of “different furrows” whilst claiming the  Welsh Government is "seeking separation between Wales and Westminster just for the sake of it."

Clearly Perplexed of Whitehall is still struggling to come to terms with the intellectual concept of devolution, let alone any practical application. That of course is pretty par for the course among the all-too-permanent secretariat but it's disappointing to see that they are similarly challenged in their understanding of the principles involved when hustling for business.

Otherwise they would know that a period of reduced public spending it is precisely the right time to be cutting out the middle-mandarin and start working on ways to market yourself directly to investors.