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Why, say those who have to live with me, do you bang on about our grammar? Who cares how we say things on the school yard, as long as you understand us?

Why, I suspect, say those who choose to dip in to this blog, do you bang on about the date of the referendum? Who cares when it's held, as long as we understand what it's all about? Give it a rest.

For what it's worth, I can't wait to give it a rest. The question should have moved on from 'when' to 'why' and 'what's it all about' a long time ago.

Today Cheryl Gillan took us most of the way there. The referendum will not be held in the Autumn. She lays the responsibility for that directly at the collective door of the former Labour Welsh Secretary and current Labour First Minister. Peter Hain strikes quickly back with his disappointment that "the Secretary of State couldn't work fast enough to deliver the option of a referendum this year, as I would have done if I was still in office".

As he would have done? What was it

"Indeed he went as far as to state that holding a referendum now would be a show of "bad faith to Parliament", and strongly believed that Parliament would not agree to "trigger a referendum before or during 2011".

Sound your vuvuzela if you notice any discrepancy between the two statements there.

Mrs Gillan intends for the poll to happen before the end of the first quarter of 2011. She seems, then, to have locked in a March referendum. In other words not this Autumn; ; not in the Autumn of 2011 either, either.

It's a case of when in March.

The Plaid line is that they're relieved and pleased it's happening. Their partners in government sound less relaxed. "There are further discussions to be had" regarding the date they say.

A discussion about ... when exactly in March? Or about the issues that whatever your take on further powers, someone must surely start banging on about very soon.

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