NEARLY 60% of Welsh people believe Westminster should give more powers to the Senedd.
In the survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of YesCymru, the campaign for Welsh independence, 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.
The poll came as Boris Johnson said that devolution has been a “disaster” for devolved nations, adding that he believed it was “Tony Blair’s biggest mistake”.
He also said that he does not “see a case” for handing down further powers from Westminster to the devolved nations.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson slammed for claim devolution is 'disaster north of Border'
Sion Jobbins, YesCymru chair, hit out at the Prime Minister's comments, saying: "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."
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.
Jobbins said YesCymru is now at 15,000 members but that it is "very telling that there has been no such surge in the membership of political parties".
He added: "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.”
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