ALL SIDES claimed victory yesterday after the Assembly cancelled a debate on where AMs sit in the chamber.

On Monday the Argus reported how the already tarnished reputation of the Assembly was brought to a new low by the row over seating.

The Assembly government had tabled a debate on where AMs sit in the present chamber. Labour wanted its members to sit together, rather than mingle with other parties. But opposition parties tabled more than 800 amendments to it, meaning the debate was set to run for around 12 hours.

But after frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations yesterday morning the government agreed to send the matter back to a special committee for discussion over the summer. In return opposition parties agreed to withdraw their censure motion.

Blaenau Gwent AM Peter Law said: "The Argus front page was very striking, it showed that members have to realise that we are here to represent the people of Wales, not to talk about where we sit.

"Now common sense has prevailed and although the Assembly's reputation is damaged we can do a lot of good for Wales and we must get on with it."

The Tory group also hailed the arrangement as a "victory for common sense" but claimed the Conservatives had achieved the breakthrough.

Conservative group leader Nick Bourne said: "We have demonstrated to the government that this sort of futile and irrelevant debate is not a matter the people of Wales are concerned about."

Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones welcomed the deal as an "outbreak of sanity". Speaking to the Argus, after the debate was abandoned, the Assembly's presiding officer Lord Elis-Thomas said: "I was looking for all sorts of ways to avoid the debate because I believe it is not the sort of thing that's appropriate for debate in the chamber. I had private meetings with the business minister and the party leaders to make sure the consequences of holding this debate in public were made quite clear."