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In the context of Tessa Jowell, the cash for honours scandal and Labour's indebtedness to millionaires such as Bernie Ecclestone, the selection of Alun Davies as a candidate may seem unimportant.

The ex-Plaid Cymru activist has been chosen to top the Mid & West regional list for Blair's party. Davies has had one of those Damascene conversions that took him from left-wing activism and charity work to lobbying for tobacco manufacturers and defending Blair's big business agenda.

But what's surprising is that they overlooked Jon Owen Jones, a decent if uninspiring ex-MP, to select a man who's main claim to fame is that he was the only Labour candidate to come fourth in Wales last year. And that he's had a drunken scrap with actor Rhys Ifans.

Labour seems quite willing to stop people smoking in public places but not to stop its own people profiting from cancer sticks.