None so blind ...

For a party that claims the Westminster election is a straight choice between them and the Tories, Labour do seem to be putting rather a lot of emphasis on trying to keep the United Kingdom together. This is what Gordon Brown said in an interview in this morning's Western Mail:

I think everybody knows that Wales, like Scotland, is stronger within the Union, and the strength of Great Britain and the United Kingdom is important to developing the modern economy and international relations that we need.

Because we can work together, we're stronger together than we are apart. I want a Britain that grows together and doesn't grow apart.

Gosh. Anyone might think the real challenge to his party is coming from another direction.

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He then goes on to make this even stranger statement:

He also suggested that Labour could look again at the contentious system of funding Wales from Westminster, saying: "The principle should be that Wales and Scotland and the regions of England should be funded according to their need.

"How you implement that depends on you coming forward with proposals to do so, and we're always ready to look at any proposals that come forward."

This may come as news to Mr Brown, but the Holtham Commision has already put forward proposals to do exactly that.

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So what are we left with? A Labour Party leader who knows that the funding formula is unfair, who knows the principle on which a fairer funding system should be based ... but who claims that someone has yet to come up with a way of changing the formula.

Now why would he do that? It's obvious: if Gordon Brown were to acknowledge the work already done by the Holtham Commission he knows people would then ask him why the Labour government did nothing to implement any changes. So it's better for him to turn a blind eye to it.

But he still expects people in Wales to vote for his party. Fat chance!

Labour have had plenty of chances to deal with the problem. They've chosen not to do so because unfairness to Wales matters little to a party whose main purpose is to hold onto power in Westminster.