The stage manager among showmen

Nick Ramsay is unlikely to make an exit from the Assembly any time soon

HALF the Conservative group in the Assembly changed at the 2007 Assembly election and the quietest of the arrivals is also one of the most intriguing.

Nick Ramsay was just in his thirties when he succeeded the substantially more flamboyant David Davies as Assembly Member for Monmouth. His arrival at the institution was nowhere near as impactful as several of the other younger members of the 2007 intake, but perhaps that was a matter of choice.

His quiet ascendance had already delivered him the safest Conservative seat in the Assembly, and in doing so he had effectively trumped South Wales East regional list member Laura Ann Jones, who had failed to make the transition to the Monmouth seat, despite being perceived externally as the front runner.

Nick Ramsay is no trumpet blower. He moves with a firm step but needs no fanfare. There is a self-effacing charm to the chap which makes him popular within his group and liked by others in the Chamber, too. Consistently clubbable, he is also discrete and shrewd beyond his years. He has a good understanding of politics and the political world, gained from both theoretical academic study as well as observing closely the political behaviour of others. These qualities are ideal in a Chief Whip, the role to which he was recently appointed by Nick Bourne, his group leader and his former employer. In this and other roles he avoids confrontation and this is the basis of his effective authority, which has certainly increased within the group.

A driving force in his politics is a firm loyalty to the Conservative Party which he joined – when there was little queue – during the John Major years. From there he gravitated to Monmouthshire Council (taking a ward held by Labour for over two decades) and also ended up as a researcher to Bourne in the Assembly. He is unlikely to lose his seat for years to come, but should he ever do so he could equally go back to the shadows of political support rather than limelight. Very few politicians could make such a transition, but to Nick Ramsay it is serving his party with loyalty and commitment that is important.

His commitment to the Assembly itself is also notable. It is there, rather than Parliament, that he wants to be and he is not shy of explaining that. In doing so he presumably has taken many Monmouthshire Conservatives on a journey with him. Because he is both a persuasive and persuadable figure who is prepared to listen to reason and engage in debate – though when his mind is made up he sticks to it. And on the matter of devolution he has clearly decided that rationalising and increasing the powers of the Assembly is the right thing to do.

Within the Assembly itself Nick Ramsay has developed a growing confidence, particularly in Plenary session, which he seems to enjoy much more than Committee work. It is far more his forte and, even before becoming Chief Whip, he was one of the most assiduous Tory attendees of debates and always made more than his proportional share of contributions. These have got better as the years have gone by and over the last six months in particular, especially on public funding matters, he has demonstrated a clear ability for financial analysis. He is no showman, though, and does not aim to be so, either in the chamber or elsewhere.

Indeed, his media profile has been generally low, which is surprising considering his clear style and eminent reasonableness. This was also particularly true during his first year in the Assembly when it appeared all his media efforts were constituency-based rather than on the national stage. This did not help him when he found himself in trouble over expenses back in the summer of 2008, when he was one of the AMs singled out for unwise claims. When similar charges were levelled at Nick Bourne he did much more than empathise with his leader.

The two remain close yet their futures will not remain entwined forever. The senior Nick is a generation older; and the junior has a safe enough seat that he could presumably stay in the Assembly well past most of his colleagues. But however long his stay, and unlike several of his colleagues, Ramsay is unlikely ever to want the top job or even think about it. For Nick Ramsay, the Party is the thing. The show must go on. And he will always be a damn fine stage manager rather than the central billing.

Which probably suits him just fine.