Next Welsh devolution referendum
Encyclopedia
A referendum
on extending the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales
was held in Wales
on 3 March 2011. The referendum asked the question: "Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for?"
If a majority voted 'yes', the Assembly would then able to make laws, known as Acts of the Assembly
, on all matters in the subject areas, without needing the UK Parliament's agreement. If a majority voted 'no', the arrangements at the time of the referendum would have continued - that is, in each devolved area, the Assembly would be able to make its own laws on some matters, but not others. To make laws on any of these other matters, the Assembly would have had to ask the UK Parliament to transfer the powers to it.
The results of the referendum were announced on 4 March 2011. Overall, 63.49% voted 'yes', and 36.51% voted 'no'. In 21 of 22 local authorities the vote was 'yes', with the exception being Monmouthshire
by a slim majority. The overall turnout was 35.2%. First Minister Carwyn Jones
, welcoming the result, said: "Today an old nation came of age."
coalition agreement on 27 June 2007 the Wales Labour Party
and Plaid Cymru
made the commitment "to proceed to a successful outcome of a referendum for full law-making powers under Part IV of the Government of Wales Act 2006
as soon as practicable, at or before the end of the Assembly term". The two parties agreed "in good faith to campaign for a successful outcome to such a referendum" and to set up an All-Wales Convention to prepare for such a successful outcome.
On 27 October 2007 the then First Minister Rhodri Morgan
and the Deputy First Minster Ieuan Wyn Jones
appointed Sir Emyr Jones Parry
, the recently retired Permanent Representatives from Britain to the United Nations to head the convention. Sir Emyr stated on 22 November 2007 that he would like to begin to work as soon as possible and hoped to have the report ready by 2009 at the latest.
The All Wales Convention reported to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister on 18 November 2009. It reported that a "yes" vote would be obtainable but not guaranteed. An opinion poll for the convention had found that 47% would vote Yes, and 37% would vote No. The report suggested that the Assembly needed to decide before June 2010 whether to trigger a referendum if the vote was to be held before the next Assembly elections.
On 2 February 2010 the new First Minister Carwyn Jones
, who had succeeded Rhodri Morgan on 9 December 2009, confirmed that a trigger vote would be held on 9 February on whether the Assembly should request a referendum on full law making powers. The Welsh Liberal Democrats
and Welsh Conservative Party
stated they did not want the referendum to be held on the same day as the 2011 Assembly elections
and would abstain from voting to trigger the referendum if this date was not ruled out. The trigger vote was held in the Assembly on Tuesday 9 February 2010, and was approved unanimously across all parties, with 53 out of the 60 AMs voting for it. Under the Government of Wales Act 2006 the First Minister was required to send a letter within two weeks to the Welsh Secretary
Peter Hain
, who would than have 120 days to lay a draft order for a referendum before Parliament. It was expected that the referendum date would not be set until after the general election.
On 15 June 2010 Cheryl Gillan
, the new Welsh Secretary in the Conservative--Liberal Democrat coalition government
at Westminster, announced that the referendum would probably be held between January and March 2011. Others proposed that it should be held on 5 May 2011, together with both the Assembly elections and the AV referendum. It was agreed that the referendum be held on 3 March 2011, after representations to the Welsh Secretary from the Welsh Government.
This wording was, however, criticised by the Welsh Government.
poll released on 1 March 2010 (St. David's Day
) found that support had risen for full law making powers, up to 56%, with 35% against, although Nick Bourne
the leader of the Welsh Conservative Party
(who supported a yes vote) was sceptical of the poll results.
A summary table of poll results in advance of the referendum is set out below.
The results were counted and announced on 4 March 2011, locally initially and then formally confirmed at the Senedd
.
In 21 of 22 unitary authorities, the vote was Yes. The only voting area to declare a No result was Monmouthshire
, which was announced following a recount. The difference was only 320 votes.
The overall result was:
Provisional turnout (as per Electoral Commission): 35.2%
Votes counted: 814,512.
Highest: Carmarthenshire
- 44.36%
Lowest: Wrexham
- 27.04%
Vote
Highest % of Yes Vote: Gwynedd
- 76.03%
Highest % of No Vote: Monmouthshire
- 50.64%
Deputy First Minister
and Plaid Cymru
leader Ieuan Wyn Jones
said it marked "the beginning of a new era of Welsh devolution - the decade to deliver for Wales.... To demand respect, you must first display self respect. Today we have done just that, and the rest of the world can now sit up and take notice of the fact that our small nation, here on the western edge of the continent of Europe, has demonstrated pride in who we are, and what we all stand for."
Conservative
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan
said there had been concern over turnout, but called it "a good day for Wales". She said that the UK government reinforced its commitment to make the arrangements work effectively.
Roger Lewis, chairman of the Yes for Wales
campaign, said he was delighted, adding: "It is clear, the people of Wales have spoken." Rachel Banner, of the No campaign, said it marked a "turning point for our nation".
Referendums in the United Kingdom
Referendums are only occasionally held by the government of the United Kingdom. Eleven referendums have been held so far , the first in 1973; only two of these covered the whole UK...
on extending the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
was held in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on 3 March 2011. The referendum asked the question: "Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for?"
If a majority voted 'yes', the Assembly would then able to make laws, known as Acts of the Assembly
Act of the National Assembly for Wales
In Wales, an Act of the National Assembly for Wales is primary legislation that can be made by the National Assembly for Wales under part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006...
, on all matters in the subject areas, without needing the UK Parliament's agreement. If a majority voted 'no', the arrangements at the time of the referendum would have continued - that is, in each devolved area, the Assembly would be able to make its own laws on some matters, but not others. To make laws on any of these other matters, the Assembly would have had to ask the UK Parliament to transfer the powers to it.
The results of the referendum were announced on 4 March 2011. Overall, 63.49% voted 'yes', and 36.51% voted 'no'. In 21 of 22 local authorities the vote was 'yes', with the exception being Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
by a slim majority. The overall turnout was 35.2%. First Minister Carwyn Jones
Carwyn Jones
Carwyn Howell Jones is a Welsh politician and the First Minister of Wales. The third official to lead the Welsh Government, Jones has been Assembly Member for Bridgend since 1999. In the coalition government of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, he was appointed Counsel General for Wales and Leader of...
, welcoming the result, said: "Today an old nation came of age."
Background
In the One WalesOne Wales
One Wales is the coalition agreement for the National Assembly for Wales between Labour and Plaid Cymru agreed to by Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour, and Ieuan Wyn Jones, leader of Plaid Cymru, on 27 June 2007. It was negotiated in the wake of the preceding...
coalition agreement on 27 June 2007 the Wales Labour Party
Wales Labour Party
Welsh Labour is the part of the United Kingdom Labour Party that operates in Wales. Labour is the largest and most successful political party in modern Welsh politics, having won the largest share of the vote at every UK General Election since 1922, every Welsh Assembly election since 1999, and...
and Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
made the commitment "to proceed to a successful outcome of a referendum for full law-making powers under Part IV of the Government of Wales Act 2006
Government of Wales Act 2006
The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
as soon as practicable, at or before the end of the Assembly term". The two parties agreed "in good faith to campaign for a successful outcome to such a referendum" and to set up an All-Wales Convention to prepare for such a successful outcome.
On 27 October 2007 the then First Minister Rhodri Morgan
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
and the Deputy First Minster Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
appointed Sir Emyr Jones Parry
Emyr Jones Parry
Sir Emyr Jones Parry, GCMG, FInstP is a retired British diplomat. He is a former British Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former UK Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council .-Education:...
, the recently retired Permanent Representatives from Britain to the United Nations to head the convention. Sir Emyr stated on 22 November 2007 that he would like to begin to work as soon as possible and hoped to have the report ready by 2009 at the latest.
The All Wales Convention reported to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister on 18 November 2009. It reported that a "yes" vote would be obtainable but not guaranteed. An opinion poll for the convention had found that 47% would vote Yes, and 37% would vote No. The report suggested that the Assembly needed to decide before June 2010 whether to trigger a referendum if the vote was to be held before the next Assembly elections.
On 2 February 2010 the new First Minister Carwyn Jones
Carwyn Jones
Carwyn Howell Jones is a Welsh politician and the First Minister of Wales. The third official to lead the Welsh Government, Jones has been Assembly Member for Bridgend since 1999. In the coalition government of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, he was appointed Counsel General for Wales and Leader of...
, who had succeeded Rhodri Morgan on 9 December 2009, confirmed that a trigger vote would be held on 9 February on whether the Assembly should request a referendum on full law making powers. The Welsh Liberal Democrats
Welsh Liberal Democrats
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England....
and Welsh Conservative Party
Welsh Conservative Party
The Welsh Conservatives & Unionists , informally the Welsh Conservatives or Welsh Tories, are the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales...
stated they did not want the referendum to be held on the same day as the 2011 Assembly elections
National Assembly for Wales election, 2011
The National Assembly for Wales election 2011 was the most recent election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the assembly's seats...
and would abstain from voting to trigger the referendum if this date was not ruled out. The trigger vote was held in the Assembly on Tuesday 9 February 2010, and was approved unanimously across all parties, with 53 out of the 60 AMs voting for it. Under the Government of Wales Act 2006 the First Minister was required to send a letter within two weeks to the Welsh Secretary
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
, who would than have 120 days to lay a draft order for a referendum before Parliament. It was expected that the referendum date would not be set until after the general election.
On 15 June 2010 Cheryl Gillan
Cheryl Gillan
Cheryl Elise Kendall Gillan is a British Conservative Party politician. She is currently the Secretary of State for Wales, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire....
, the new Welsh Secretary in the Conservative--Liberal Democrat coalition government
United Kingdom coalition government (2010–present)
The ConservativeLiberal Democrat coalition is the present Government of the United Kingdom, formed after the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats entered into discussions which culminated in the 2010 coalition agreement, setting out a programme for government...
at Westminster, announced that the referendum would probably be held between January and March 2011. Others proposed that it should be held on 5 May 2011, together with both the Assembly elections and the AV referendum. It was agreed that the referendum be held on 3 March 2011, after representations to the Welsh Secretary from the Welsh Government.
Draft question
The draft referendum question submitted by the Welsh Secretary to the Electoral Commission on 23 June 2010 was:This wording was, however, criticised by the Welsh Government.
Revised question
A revised question was released in September 2010:Opinion polls and comments
In 2007, one poll suggested that 47% might say Yes in a referendum vote, with 44% against. A poll in February 2008 saw 49% in favour of a full law-making parliament and 41% against. On 3 February 2010 the Western Mail endorsed the Yes campaign. A BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
poll released on 1 March 2010 (St. David's Day
Saint David's Day
Saint David's Day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March each year. The date of 1 March was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David. Tradition holds that he died on that day in 589...
) found that support had risen for full law making powers, up to 56%, with 35% against, although Nick Bourne
Nick Bourne
Nicholas Henry Bourne is a Welsh Conservative politician. He served as the Leader of the Welsh Conservative Party and as a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Mid and West Wales electoral region from August 1999 until May 2011...
the leader of the Welsh Conservative Party
Welsh Conservative Party
The Welsh Conservatives & Unionists , informally the Welsh Conservatives or Welsh Tories, are the part of the Conservative Party which operates in Wales...
(who supported a yes vote) was sceptical of the poll results.
A summary table of poll results in advance of the referendum is set out below.
| Date | Organisation | Yes | No | Wouldn't Vote | Don't Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-28 February 2011 | Research and Marketing Group | 49% | 22% | - | 28% |
| 21-23 February 2011 | YouGov (certain to vote) | 67% | 33% | - | - |
| 24-26 January 2011 | YouGov | 46% | 25% | 8% | 21% |
| 20-22 December 2010 | YouGov | 48% | 30% | 8% | 14% |
| 25-28 November 2010 | ICM (Certain to vote) | 70% | 30% | - | - |
| 25-28 November 2010 | ICM (All) | 57% | 24% | - | 18% |
| 22-24 November 2010 | YouGov | 52% | 29% | 7% | 13% |
| 19-22 November 2010 | Beaufort Research (Certain to vote) | 73% | 23% | - | 4% |
| 19-22 November 2010 | Beaufort Research (all) | 60% | 28% | - | 13% |
| 25-27 October 2010 | YouGov | 49% | 30% | 5% | 15% |
| 27 - 29 September 2010 | YouGov | 48% | 32% | 6% | 15% |
| 26 - 28 July 2010 | YouGov | 48% | 34% | 5% | 14% |
Results
Overall result
Confirmed result: YesThe results were counted and announced on 4 March 2011, locally initially and then formally confirmed at the Senedd
Senedd
The Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was £69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
.
In 21 of 22 unitary authorities, the vote was Yes. The only voting area to declare a No result was Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, which was announced following a recount. The difference was only 320 votes.
The overall result was:
| Yes : 517,132 (63.49%) |
No : 297,380 (36.51%) |
||
| ▲ |
Provisional turnout (as per Electoral Commission): 35.2%
Votes counted: 814,512.
Results by unitary authority
| Unitary authority | Turnout | Yes vote | No vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglesey Anglesey Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales... |
43.83% | 64.77% | 35.23% |
| Blaenau Gwent Blaenau Gwent Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in South Wales, sharing its name with a parliamentary constituency. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and... |
32.44% | 68.87% | 31.13% |
| Bridgend Bridgend Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town... |
35.64% | 68.11% | 31.89% |
| Caerphilly Caerphilly Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly, south Wales, located at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000. It is a commuter town of Cardiff and Newport, which are located some 7.5 miles and 12 miles away, respectively... |
34.55% | 64.35% | 35.65% |
| Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
35.16% | 61.39% | 38.61% |
| Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford... |
44.36% | 70.82% | 29.18% |
| Ceredigion Ceredigion Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later... |
44.07% | 66.24% | 33.76% |
| Conwy Conwy Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208... |
33.79% | 59.72% | 40.28% |
| Denbighshire Denbighshire Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years... |
34.47% | 61.85% | 38.15% |
| Flintshire Flintshire Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders... |
29.45% | 62.06% | 37.94% |
| Gwynedd Gwynedd Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated... |
43.39% | 76.03% | 23.97% |
| Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of... |
30.12% | 68.86% | 31.14% |
| Monmouthshire Monmouthshire Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:... |
35.83% | 49.36% | 50.64% |
| Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough.... |
38.00% | 73.00% | 27.00% |
| Newport Newport Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent... |
27.90% | 54.76% | 45.24% |
| Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered.... |
38.73% | 54.98% | 45.02% |
| Powys Powys Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is... |
39.68% | 51.64% | 48.36% |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 34.62% | 70.71% | 29.29% |
| Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
32.90% | 63.21% | 36.79% |
| Torfaen Torfaen Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:... |
33.82% | 62.78% | 37.22% |
| Vale of Glamorgan Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales... |
40.10% | 52.54% | 47.46% |
| Wrexham Wrexham Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England... |
27.04% | 64.09% | 35.91% |
Local area analysis
TurnoutHighest: Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
- 44.36%
Lowest: Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
- 27.04%
Vote
Highest % of Yes Vote: Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
- 76.03%
Highest % of No Vote: Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
- 50.64%
Reactions to the result
First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "Today an old nation came of age."Deputy First Minister
Deputy First Minister for Wales
The Deputy First Minister for Wales can be the deputy leader of the Welsh Government, the devolved administration for Wales. The post was created October 2000 when Mike German of the Welsh Liberal Democrats was appointed Deputy First Minister as part of a coalition government with Welsh Labour...
and Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
leader Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
said it marked "the beginning of a new era of Welsh devolution - the decade to deliver for Wales.... To demand respect, you must first display self respect. Today we have done just that, and the rest of the world can now sit up and take notice of the fact that our small nation, here on the western edge of the continent of Europe, has demonstrated pride in who we are, and what we all stand for."
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan
Cheryl Gillan
Cheryl Elise Kendall Gillan is a British Conservative Party politician. She is currently the Secretary of State for Wales, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire....
said there had been concern over turnout, but called it "a good day for Wales". She said that the UK government reinforced its commitment to make the arrangements work effectively.
Roger Lewis, chairman of the Yes for Wales
Yes for Wales
Yes for Wales! is the name of a cross-party pro-devolution group launched on 4 January 2011 which co-ordinated the successful campaign for a 'Yes' vote in the Welsh devolution referendum, 2011 to extend the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales.The group was chaired by Roger Lewis,...
campaign, said he was delighted, adding: "It is clear, the people of Wales have spoken." Rachel Banner, of the No campaign, said it marked a "turning point for our nation".
External links
- Official website of the "YES" campaign "Yes for Wales"
- Official website of the "YES" campaign "Tomorrow's Wales"
- Official website of the "NO" campaign "True Wales"
- Official website of the "NO" campaign by "Mark Beech"
- Electoral Commission webpage on the referendum
- Government of Wales Act 2006 (full text)
- BBC News: Wales Referendum 2011
- BBC News, Roger Scully, What will Wales powers referendum result mean?, 28 February 2011