Bourne 'sorry to lose big hitter'

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The leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh assembly has defended changes to his frontbench team.

Nick Bourne's decision saw Cardiff North AM Jonathan Morgan leave the shadow cabinet as health spokesman.

Speaking on the BBC's Politics Show, Mr Bourne said he tried to persuade Mr Morgan to stay and offered him the education portfolio.

He described the Cardiff North AM as a "mate" and a "big hitter" and said he was sorry to lose him.

But Mr Bourne also added that he was delighted that the AM is the Conservative nomination to chair the assembly's audit committee.

"He is a big hitter and he has done a fantastic job in health, but he's been doing that job for six years, and I felt it was appropriate to give somebody else a chance to do that job," said Mr Bourne.

"He had very much the option of doing the education brief. I wanted to move him - I made that absolutely clear. I certainly tired to persuade him to stay but not in the job he was doing, I made it very clear that he would be moving out of that job."Clockwise from top left: Andrew RT Davies, Jonathan Morgan, William Graham, Alun Cairns

The Welsh Tory leader said he had spoken to the AM since the decision was taken.

"I'm sorry he is going but I'm delighted that he is going to be doing the chairing of the audit committee," he added.

"We've spoken since about some of the possibilities there. It was not a rancorous discussion in any way."

Elections

The reshuffle saw Mr Morgan's health brief taken by the South Wales Central AM, Andrew RT Davies, while Paul Davies becomes the party's education spokesman.

Chief whip William Graham also rejected the offer of another job and is replaced by Alun Cairns, who will also have an economic brief alongside David Melding.

Mr Bourne said he had told the party six months ago that he intended to reshuffle his frontbench halfway through the current assembly four-year term.

He explained: "This was a necessary move to ensure that we have got a team that is ready for the 2011 elections, about two years away.

"This is going to be the team that is going to be carrying our message to the 2011 elections, when we are going to say to people that this is the only alternative to the Labour-Plaid Cymru mess that we've seen in this country over the last two years, and a longer mess for Labour."