A BBC/ICM poll reports that more than half of people in Wales would vote for the Welsh assembly to have full law-making powers if a referendum was held today:
A total of 52% said they would vote for full law-making powers in a referendum, 39% said they would vote against.
It is the first time a poll has shown majority support for full powers.
But it does not indicate the shift of opinion in favour of further devolution is likely to be enough to tempt political leaders to call a referendum.
Some 9% did not know how they would vote.
In an equivalent poll for the BBC a year ago, 49% of people were in favour of full assembly law-making powers, with 42% against and 9% undecided.
In 2007, the result was 47% for full law-making powers and 44% against.
In this latest survey, when people were asked how Wales should be governed, the highest proportion, 34%, said they would like to see a full law-making Welsh parliament with taxation powers, but remaining part of the UK.
Some 10% said they would like a full law-making parliament within the UK with no taxation powers – the only option in a referendum under current legislation.
Commenting on the poll the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams said:
“The people of Wales want devolution and this has been proven year after year in various opinion polls. This latest BBC Wales/ICM opinion poll not only shows that people are in favour of devolution, the support for it is growing. Even during difficult economic times, people can see the benefits of devolution.
“Just because over half of the population said that they’d vote ‘Yes’ in a potential referendum, it is not enough to guarantee a successful referendum if or when the Labour-Plaid government decide to hold one. A ‘No’ campaign is already turning people away from the idea of devolution. We cannot rest on our laurels.
“We need to have a ‘Yes Campaign’ now so that we can tell people that although devolution is working at the moment, it can be much better. Primary law-making powers will give Assembly Members the tools to get on with the job on behalf of the people of Wales. The current system of begging Westminster to let us work for the people who elected us is not working as it should be.
“Why won’t the Labour-Plaid government listen to the people of Wales? They seem to have their heads stuck in the sand. Only a few weeks ago, leaked research from their own opinion-finding body, the All-Wales Convention, suggested there was strong support for giving Wales primary law-making powers. What more do they need?
“As we come up to celebrate a decade of Welsh devolution, I want to see the next decade one where the people of Wales have further control on how their country is run and funded.”
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