A new poll has shown overwhelming support for giving more powers to the Senedd / Welsh Parliament.

In the survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of YesCymru, the campaign for an independent Wales, 59% of respondents who had a view, said they would support a “devo-max” option in a referendum.

The so-called devo-max option would see powers transferred from Westminster to the Welsh Parliament in Cardiff, including the right to control taxation and welfare in a move that stops just short of independence.

YesCymru Chair, Sion Jobbins, said: 

“In light of Boris Johnson’s comments on devolution being ‘a mistake’ it really is time for the Welsh Government to get serious about what it wants to happen, and make its constitutional position clear. It’s clear the people of Wales value devolution, but with devolution being threatened by the Conservatives in Westminster, everyone in Wales needs to join together to protect our democracy.

“We have at least four more years of Johnson's Tories in Westminster. They’re chomping at the bit to scrap our Senedd. What is the Welsh Government going to do to protect and strengthen our parliament?

“The best way to protect the people of Wales is for Wales to take control of its own affairs by becoming an independent country. We would then be in the same position as the Irish Republic, where Westminster can't just get rid of the Irish parliament on a whim. That is not an option on the table at the moment, but it can be if we make it an issue in the May Senedd elections.

“We have had a huge surge in YesCymru members over the past few weeks, recently hitting 15,000 members, but it’s very telling that there has been no such surge in the membership of political parties. There is a huge appetite out there for change but people still don’t feel that the political parties are the best way to bring about that change. No one political party can take YesCymru supporters for granted.

“Of the two major unionist parties in Wales we only know where the Tories stand - they want to roll back devolution. Labour now needs to step up and make its constitutional position clear - waiting and hoping for a Labour win in Westminster in 2024 is not an option especially as the Tories are planning to get rid of 20% of Welsh seats and Scotland will probably have left Westminster by then.”

There was support for increasing the powers of the Senedd through devo-max in all regions of Wales, with 64% of respondents who had a view in Cardiff and south central Wales backing the move, the highest level of support in the country.

There was also huge support for devo-max from younger respondents with 82% of respondents aged 18-24 who had a view saying they would vote for Wales to have more powers.

The question asked was: "If there was a referendum tomorrow on the transferring of more powers to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), including control of tax and welfare, but excluding defence and foreign affairs, how would you vote? Should more powers be transferred to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament)?

Wales
YES 59%

Age groups
18-24 - YES 82%
25-49 - YES 73%
50-64 - YES 51%
65+ - YES 43%

Regions
Cardiff and South Central - YES 64%
South East - YES 63%
Mid and West - YES 61%
North - YES 53%
South West - YES 52%

Full results available to download here (pdf).

At the start of the year YesCymru's membership stood at around 2,500, but a combination of factors has seen the campaign for Welsh independence gain momentum. Membership had more than trebled to over 8,000 by mid October, and has now nearly doubled once again to over 15,000 paid members in 3 weeks.

Siôn Jobbins, YesCymru Chair, welcomed the new members, he said: “This is fantastic news! YesCymru is determined to create a welcoming, colourful and progressive mass movement for independence. We believe that there will be a referendum on Scottish independence in the coming years, followed by the reunification of Ireland, what then for Wales?"

"Due to Westminster’s handling of COVID-19, the people of Wales are seeing that they and the Senedd can do a better job of looking after our interests than Westminter."

"When the Senedd has ignored Westminster and put the interests of Wales first, they have done things better. The two week lockdown in Wales, which was difficult and stressful for us all, was mocked by Westminster and sections of the UK media. But now the Wrestminster Government has had to lock England down, and for longer. Where Wales leads, others follow."

"But devolution isn’t enough. We need independence."

"Westminster is rolling back devolution. In the Internal Market Bill – a boring document which we in Wales 'need not worry about' – Westminster has taken away powers from our Senedd, powers we in Wales have voted for in not one but two referendums."

"Westminster is incompetent. We’ve seen the UK Government in London give contracts worth billions to their friends, with money paid upfront to brand new companies to deliver PPE which doesn’t work. Some £12bn – more than the entire health budget in Wales – is being wasted on a privatised track and trace system that barely works!"

"Westminster doesn’t care about Wales. During our lockdown, The First Minister asked the UK Government for money, which the Welsh Government even promised to pay back, to support our businesses and our people. Westminster said “NO”. When Johnson announced the English Lockdown, suddenly the ‘magic money tree’ began blooming!"

"Our new members are already adding a massive boost to the movement. Our members are vibrant and passionate in their determination to build a new Wales that looks after all of its people."

"2021 is going to be a very interesting year in the history of Wales, and it will be onwards and upwards for YesCymru and the campaign for an independent Wales.”

YesCymru, the campaign for an independent Wales, has seen a huge increase in support this year, recently hitting 8,000 members, up from around 2,500 at the start of the year.

Sion Jobbins, YesCymru Chair, welcomed the new members, he said: “This is fantastic news! These new members are already adding a massive boost to the movement. Our members are vibrant and passionate in their determination to build a new Wales that looks after all of its people.

“What has helped speed the growth of YesCymru, is that people have seen that the Senedd in Wales is much more competent at running Wales’ affairs than Westminster, and we can do so with more empathy and compassion as well.

“Traditional campaigning has not been possible this year, with the cancellation of three large independence marches in Wrexham, Swansea and Tredegar due to Covid-19, but our members are bright and innovative and we are already seeing new ways of convincing others of the need for independence. 2021 is going to be a very interesting year in the history of Wales, and it will be onwards and upwards for YesCymru and an independent Wales.”