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Once upon a time the Liberal Democrats would yield to no-one in their determination to celebrate their Welshness while across the border.

Welsh Night at the Liberal Democrat conference would be a celebration of all things Welsh, a chance to kiss away each hour of hiraeth until party activists came home again to Wales (usually within 48 hours).

A male voice choir would be imported for the occasion at some expense. Lord Thomas of Gresford or Lord German of Llanfrechfa (when they were just plain Martin Thomas and Mike German) would tinkle the ivories for a group sing-song to the Welsh Lib Dems' own songbook.

In this age of austerity, conference life has changed. Frivolity is in shorter supply here in Liverpool. Now the Lib Dems find themselves in government they are forced to take themselves more seriously.

So thank you for the music, but a gathering in a Merseyside pub has replaced the sing-song; a gathering followed by an early night as Liberal Democrat AMs and spin doctors head back early for the first sitting of the Welsh assembly since July.

So for many Welsh Lib Dems, the conference is over before it's begun. That should be a relief to two of the party's AMs who found themselves so on message they turned up wearing similar clothes.

at Lib Dem conferences. Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams and Lady (Veronica) German were due to share the conference platform on Sunday afternoon, only to discover they had both opted for floral flocks.

There was only one thing for it. The leader changed outfits. Noblesse oblige, as they say in Llanfrechfa.

Twenty four hours later the two AMs turned up in similar polka dot numbers. Today, before they head for Cardiff Bay, what are the chances of an early morning telephone call having taken place to avoid another fashion faux-pas?

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