Twenty years ago Wales (barely) said Yes to devolution. Despite a Welsh Assembly being supported by the wildly popular new Prime Minister Blair and opposed by the very unpopular Conservatives, the public gave the most grudging endorsement to partial self-rule.
A lot of water has flowed under many Welsh bridges since then. Public opposition to devolution fell away surprisingly quickly after 1997; the latest evidence, which I will be presenting in Cardiff on Monday, confirms that a clear majority in Wales now support devolution. There is little political opposition either. The Conservatives swiftly accepted the referendum result; since returning to power at Westminster they have overseen two Wales Acts transferring additional responsibilities to the National Assembly. Many Tory voters remain unconvinced and they constitute a large portion of Wales’ remaining devo-sceptics. But there is no chance of a Conservative manifesto advocating abolition: we are all devolutionists now.
But that does not mean all is well.
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