One in five on a waiting list in Wales; more than 10,000 people waiting 12 hours in A&E; our education system failing children, with Programme for International Student Assessment rankings at the bottom of the UK league table; a tourism tax on the horizon, penalising businesses after they've suffered tremendous losses over the last four years; the latest Office for National Statistics's statistics showing Wales is the only UK nation that's seen its economy shrink; and failing to support the next generation of home owners by building new homes. But yet, here we are this afternoon, talking about ourselves. Labour and Plaid Cymru would rather spend £100 million to increase the size of this place than on the priorities of the people of Wales. Instead of focusing on recruiting more doctors, nurses, teachers and dentists, this Welsh Government are hellbent on avoiding the scrutiny of a referendum and instead are hiding behind their nationalist friends' support. They'd prefer to see more of their friends elected to this place under the guise that it would better scrutinise the Welsh Government, but when it comes to scrutiny, and a Wales-specific COVID inquiry, the Welsh Government wasn't interested in scrutiny at all. But we all know today the real reason why we're talking about these proposals: it's more jobs for the boys for the Labour Party, and it's about ensuring a Labour Government here in Cardiff Bay for the foreseeable future.

We heard from Darren Millar earlier about Labour's manifesto, and we heard that there was no direct mention of the fact that there would be an increase in the size of this Senedd. I wonder why that could have been. It's because the Labour Party knew that opting for more politicians while people have been rallying around our NHS during the COVID pandemic would surely get people to sit up and listen.

Yes, there is an argument for Senedd reform—as put so vaguely in your manifestos that got you the most votes—but I'm afraid what was not in the manifesto were the costings, the number of politicians, the voting system that would follow in the announcement between the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru. That's why this significant constitutional change should be put to a public vote. But we all know—all of us know—Labour and Plaid Cymru have a terrible record when it comes to trusting the people of Wales by asking them what they think. The amount of time they both spent in this place trying to block Brexit after the people of Wales voted for it is evidence enough of that. And any constitutional change of this significance, and where a change to the voting system's being proposed, has previously been put to a public vote. Look at that AV referendum in 2011; that precedent is already clear. We need to show the people of Wales that we trust them to make these decisions and not some cosy Cardiff Bay cartel that drags us towards independence by the back door. Because that could be the result here: Plaid Cymru, in their own social media post after the co-operation agreement was signed, stated that this was their aim. They said that Senedd reform would provide a Senedd fit for an independent Wales. We know that's not what the people of Wales want. That's why we need to put it to a vote.

It shouldn't be for politicians in the Senedd to decide whether or not to increase our numbers; that would be like turkeys voting to cancel Christmas. But for those of us who believe that at its best, the Senedd can truly be a place of good, a place that has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of people of Wales, we need to make sure that, at every possible step, the people of Wales know that this Senedd is far more theirs than it is ours. If this Senedd believes in devolution, it needs the consent of the people it serves to strengthen that case when changes of this significance are made. The answer they give us is important, and we should act on the result, whatever it is, but it's not as important as us asking that question in the first place, because if this place is truly to represent and reflect the people of Wales in all the ways we've heard today, it is they that need to make that decision. It must never be our place to tell the people of Wales what's best for them. They should tell us that. They give us our mandate and we'd be fools to forget that.