The Welsh Government has confirmed that the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales has released its final report.
Established in 2021 and co-chaired by Professor Laura McAllister and Dr Rowan Williams, the commission has spent two years looking into how Wales is governed, and what potential options for change may be. The two years of work were made up of a national conversation, involving thousands of people from a wide range of backgrounds, and allowed people to explore how the country is run and understand the main needs of communities.
An interim report was published by the commission in December 2022, identifying issues in the way that Wales is governed. According to the findings, following the current ‘status quo’ would put Wales’ democracy at risk, however, three alternative constitutional futures have been laid out for Wales. These are:
- Enhanced devolution – Secure economic stability without the need for a referendum. This route would also not fundamentally change the economic position of Wales within the UK economy.
- A federal United Kingdom – More potential benefits than further devolution and carries fewer risks than independence, however, it is reliant on an appetite for change from the rest of the UK.
- An independent Wales – Potential for long-term positive change that would allow Wales to shape its own constitution however carries high risk economically.
Touching on the report’s findings, Professor Laura McAllister said:
“Almost a quarter of a century has passed since powers were first devolved to Wales and this was the first time to have this national conversation with the people of Wales about the next steps in our constitutional journey. Many citizens we have spoken to were not even born at the point that devolution began, while many others have seen changes to how Wales is run in the last 25 years and have opinions on what can be done better or differently.
“Through our work, it became clear that the status quo is not sustainable and the needs of the people of Wales are not being met. If Welsh devolution, even as it stands, is to be protected, these changes must take place urgently. We can then look further ahead at these 3 possible routes for Wales’ future, each of which clearly have both challenges and opportunities.”
Dr Rowan Williams, talking about the engagement work within Wales, commented:
“This is Wales’ national conversation, and the commission has tried to do things differently. Our report is the result of two years of open discussion. We’ve focused on hearing from different voices across Welsh communities, as well as the advice of experts. This has been an exercise in communicating directly with the people of Wales, collecting evidence and seeking to understand their lived experiences.
“This dialogue has been hugely valuable, but there is much more work to be done. We need to make sure that everyone has a voice in deciding the future path of their nation – the national conversation we have begun has to continue beyond the life of this commission.”
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