The 'inimitable' Andrew RT, daytime TV, and Tory oaks

According to the leader of the Welsh Conservatives it felt like a daytime TV show.

"Sadly," he told Cardiff North MP Jonathan Evans, "you are not Susanna Reid."

Perhaps Andrew RT Davies had objected to being introduced as "our inimitable friend, Andrew RT".

Jonathan Evans chaired today's fringe meeting in his new role as chair of the Welsh Conservatives, putting questions to Mr Davies, Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb and MEP Kay Swinburne.

He even voiced questions submitted from the audience, leaving redundant a roving mike held by a party staffer.

The first two questions were along the lines of: 'Could the [Labour] Welsh government do more for tourism?' and - "Has the Welsh government failed rural areas?" You can probably guess the gist of the answers from a Conservative panel.

It's fair to say that the fall-out from the Scotland referendum featured but didn't dominate. A roomful of Welsh political activists got through an hour's conversation without mentioning the Barnett formula.

The toughest question was whether the Welsh Conservatives would follow their Scottish counterparts and ditch the UK Tory oak logo. The Welsh logo featured a Welsh sessile oak, said Mr Evans - and it was here to stay.

The reception was sponsored by Working Links, who have the contract to deliver the UK government's work programme in Wales.

It was a more sedate affair than last night's Welsh reception addressed by the prime minister and attended by several cabinet ministers.

Welsh party director Roger Pratt personally banned the media from the reception - presumably just in case David Cameron went off-message. My Scottish colleagues are luckier, being invited in to the comparable event.

At least one guest, William Hague, seemed pleased to see the Welsh media after delivering his farewell conference speech as an MP - 37 years after his first (as a schoolboy).

We were gracefully allowed in to hear Mr Hague speak, despite the objections of one party spin doctor.

Mr Hague, who leaves parliament at the election, promised to spend more time in what he calls "the land of my fathers-in-law" (it still gets a laugh).

The former secretary of state for Wales had earlier briefed regional newspaper journalists on his role as chair of the new cabinet committee on devolution.

He said: "For Wales, there are two aspects to this, really. One is further devolution of powers towards Wales.

"But the other is that Wales also needs a fair deal in the House of Commons.

"After all, there are many matters discussed in parliament that are still English and Welsh matters - you know, matters of criminal justice are still English and Welsh whereas Scotland has a different system.

"So there are many matters where English and Welsh MPs need to be able to decide things together."

The new committee is expected to meet every week between now and the end of the year.