Lord Elis-Thomas is embarrassed by the level of debate in the assembly

The former Plaid leader, who acts as the assembly's 'speaker', said he did not realise the whole process of devolution would be as "painful", adding that if he were not a politician he would not bother to go out and vote.

He told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cynta programme: "What is the point of getting up in the morning, cleaning my teeth, washing and shaving, if you go to work at an institution like this?."

His comments followed a controversial debate over where Assembly Members should sit.

It was ignited after Labour AMs proposed they should all sit together on one side of the chamber and called for an hour-long debate on the issue.

But the debate plan angered opposition parties, who tabled 801 amendments in an attempt to sabotage the discussion.

People don't see anything being done and it doesn't make any difference to Welsh politics. Lord Elis-Thomas

Many of these were deliberately ludicrous, such as the suggestion that AMs should be allowed seat number 12 - Rhodri Morgan's seat - if the full assembly met on their birthday.

Other suggestions included allocating seats according to sex or age.

At present Labour is seated in the middle of the assembly, with the opposition behind.

The ruling party claims that the other parties are able to look over Labour shoulders to see confidential papers.

On Tuesday Assembly Members had been due to spend an hour discussing who should sit where, before spending up to 12 hours voting on amendments to those seating arrangements.

A special committee will now be set up to reach an inter-party agreement, which means the issue will not be debated in a plenary session.

Labour AMs want to sit together on one side of the chamber

But as far as Lord Elis-Thomas was concerned, the damage was already done.

"This was a total embarrassment to me," he added.

"What is the point of getting up in the morning, cleaning my teeth, washing and shaving, if you go to work at an institution like this.

"I'm not amazed that a Conservative AM like Jonathan Morgan is considering his future.

"The terrible irony is that the only party which is behaving sensibly in the assembly is the Tory party.

It is becoming nothing more than the parish council in the Vicar of Dibley Jonathan Morgan AM

"If I wasn't standing as an AM I wouldn't bother going out to vote.

"People don't see anything being done and it doesn't make any difference to Welsh politics."

The last comment was particularly striking given the assembly's concern about low turn-out at assembly elections.

When asked if he had suggestions toward changing the culture of Welsh politics, Lord Elis-Thomas said: "Changing the culture is a process - knew it was going to be hard, but not as painful as this."

'Parish council'

Other AMs have said that they could walk away from assembly politics if the quality of debate does not improve.

South Wales Central Conservative AM Jonathan Morgan, said: "I'm extremely disillusioned and unless I can see a material improvement, I have to consider whether my future is going to be here or elsewhere.

"It's been frustrating to be an opposition politician in the assembly.

"For an institution that should be a national body, it is becoming nothing more than the parish council in the Vicar of Dibley.

" Unless AMs - opposition and government - do something to rectify (the situation) then I can see AMs throwing up their hands and walking away."