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%