FORMER Blaenau Gwent MP Llew Smith accused Welsh Secretary Peter Hain of being a hypocrite for taking on three jobs.

Neath MP Peter Hain was last week appointed as secretary of state for Northern Ireland and retained as the secretary of state for Wales.

The appointment came less than a week after Mr Hain urged the voters of Blaenau Gwent to shun independent candidate Peter Law at the ballot box because "the job of being Blaenau Gwent's MP is too important to be done part-time".

In the scathing attack, Hain said: "The people of Blaenau Gwent have a choice between electing a loner MP in Peter Law, who would claim two salaries, two lots of expenses and try to do both the job of the local MP and Welsh Assembly Member, and Labour's candidate Maggie Jones, a powerful, full-time voice for their communities.

"The job of being Blaenau Gwent's MP is too important to be done part-time."

Now it is Hain himself who has come under fire.

Former Blaenau Gwent MP Llew Smith said: "Peter Hain is a hypocrite and anyone who doubts that can explain why he criticised Peter Law for doing two jobs when he is actually doing three jobs - and one of those jobs will involve spending most of his time in Northern Ireland.

"Peter Hain has shown himself to be flexible in his politics. In his previous life he was so far to the left, he would have made me look like a moderate."

Peter Law said that Mr Hain had spent the last fortnight before the election criticising him and calling him "two jobs Peter Law".

"He is going to be doing three jobs - he will be MP for Neath, Welsh secretary and Northern Ireland secretary," Mr Law said.

"I think there are reasonable question marks about him giving sufficient time to the Welsh portfolio.

"With the seriousness of the situation in Northern Ireland, it will take an awful lot of time and that will reflect on whether he is able to give much time to Wales."

Mr Law also denied the claims that he would be drawing two salaries - saying he would be entitled to one salary and an allowance.

Speaking to the Argus Peter Hain said: "They can accuse me of what they like, I have nothing more to add to that."