Operational reality is instead therefore reflected by the increased operational collaboration seen with Merseyside and Cheshire police, reported by North Wales Police in areas such as firearms, intelligence, custody, property and forensics.

To devolve criminal justice otherwise would be to pursue political goals, dismembering the UK, from certain people over there, or a political grab for power from a group of people whose creeping and often intimidatory politicisation of devolved public services must be a warning to us all.