The Queen: Surrounded by sycophants?

Two Welsh MPs have traded blows over Rhodri Morgan's alleged failure to turn up on time for a recent meeting with the Queen.

Cardiff's first minister was caught in traffic on his way to last week's Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd in mid-Wales.

Despite dashing the last 100 yards, Morgan failed to greet the monarch.

His spokesman later added that the Queen had actually been early for the event and Morgan had arrived on time.

Following a minor row over whether the event had turned into a "faux pas", two Welsh MPs have exchanged blows on the issue.

Plaid Cymru MP Simon Thomas put forward an early day motion expressing concern at the first minister's "tardiness".

It added that this was "an insult to both the show and her majesty" and expressed hope that "the first minister returns from his summer break with a great deal more vigour to tackle both his personal misjudgements and the governance of Wales".

But Labour backbencher Paul Flynn tabled an amendment to that motion, congratulating Morgan on "deciding to travel to the Royal Welsh Show in the most economical way and refusing to use the wasteful, expensive and environmentally damaging helicopters used by other dignitaries".

And the Newport West MP also claimed that the first minister's "lively, good-humoured company was probably a relief to many of the guests from that of the tedious, mulish sycophants who infest occasions of this kind".