Welsh 'want to remain in the UK'

2 Oct 2008

Although devolution in Wales has been remarkably successful there is no desire to break away from the UK, the biggest survey of its kind has found.

Plaid Cymru's long-term goal of an independent Wales was favoured by just 10% of voters and was the least popular option in all five of the Assembly's electoral regions.

But more people - 39% - backed a Welsh parliament than the 31% who are content with the current Assembly.

More than 2,500 people were questioned in the Aberystwyth University survey about their attitudes towards devolution and their knowledge of what goes on at Cardiff Bay.

Researchers said the average Welsh person now favours devolution and has a reasonable understanding of how it works - but is unlikely to go out of their way to find out more.

Despite the support for a Welsh parliament, the survey offers few clues on whether voters would back full law-making powers in another referendum.

The Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition is to probe public support for a Scottish-style devolution settlement, with a view to a public vote on beefing-up the Assembly in 2011.

Prof Roger Scully, who oversaw the Assembly-commissioned survey, said a referendum was "certainly winnable, but it's far from certain that it would be won".

<http://new.wales.gov.uk/splash> (Welsh Assembly Government)