Rhun, I'm aware of your view; I just don't think it is very widely shared. Were England not to support the continuance of the current devolved system, I've little doubt that, in a forced vote, Wales would choose the status quo ante or near-unitary England and Wales Government, rather than independence. I believe, however, there were considerable drawbacks to that pre-1999 system, and Governments of Wales have diverged quite markedly from England, but with very little in the way of reference to the people of Wales democratically. In practice, the Wales Office ran a fairly self-contained fief under successive Secretaries of State, at times with very different policy emphases from the rest of the Westminster Government. However, the outlook of John Redwood was enormously different from that of Nicholas Edwards, Peter Walker, David Hunt. Few would suggest that his appointment reflected any democratic shift to the right in Welsh society.

My proposal is, therefore, we consider a system where Welsh Government remains devolved but with a First Minister directly elected and accountable to the people of Wales, and the legislative framework embedded at Westminster. This would put a stop to our present slippery slope, where devolution is a process that is only ever in one direction, with more and more powers being devolved and less and less done at UK level. [Interruption.] I'm sorry, Carwyn, I'm unable to give way because of the passage of time. 

MPs elected in Wales but embedded in Westminster would lack our institutional incentive to demand more and more power for themselves, applying a brake to the centrifugal forces affecting the UK. Rather than looking to drive through a large legislative programme every year to make Welsh laws more different from English laws, Welsh Ministers could make their case to an enhanced Welsh grand committee where they have the strongest case for further differing legislation. An elected First Minister could appoint the best and brightest from across Welsh society as Welsh Ministers, instead of taking legislators away from their proper job of scrutiny. That may not, of course, suit the interests of all Members and Ministers here, but it may be the right way forward for Wales.