The contours of a deal emerging?

A busy day so I'll keep this short.

If you're after a fuller analysis of today's draft budget, then head here.

If you're after the full details, they're here.

From me, just a thought:

Ieuan Wyn Jones' first response this afternoon was to go searching for the £17m that's gone from the Economy Minister's pocket.

"At a time of severe economic conditions, this Labour Welsh government is suggesting that we cut the budget available to the Economy Minister. Her budget has gone from £280m to £263m by 2015.

"How will this government be equipped to take action to save jobs and respond to the worsening economic crisis?"

How about this for a theory? The Welsh Government thinks for a short while, then decides not to spend the extra £40m it got yesterday, thanks to the Chancellor's plan to freeze council tax in England, on doing the same in Wales. Instead it'll put it into skills ... and economic development.

That would anger the Conservatives, please Plaid and make the basis for rather a neat deal, wouldn't it?

One further thought. Unlike the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats aren't too keen on the UK Government's council tax freeze idea. Could that be why the exchanges between Carwyn Jones and Kirsty Williams lacked the usual tetchiness today?

After all a First Minister without a majority needs to keep his options open.