Welsh devolution referendum, 1997

On September 18, 1997 and was a referendum in Wales (Welsh Refferendwm datganoli i Gymru, English Welsh devolution referendum ) held, in which the voters were able to express itself on the question of whether a private Welsh regional parliament should be established. With a very narrow margin, the voters opted for the establishment of such a Parliament.

Prehistory

In 1979, already a first referendum on the question of the establishment of a Welsh Assembly had taken place. Unlike Scotland, where a narrow majority of voters voted in a similar referendum in 1979 for a Scottish Parliament, the Welsh had decided by a large majority of 79.4 % of the vote against a Welsh Parliament. In the following years there was little development in order to ensure greater Welsh autonomy.

In 1983, the Welsh Liberal Party adopted the goal of self-government of Wales in their party program. In contrast, the Conservative Party took a Unionist politics and strongly opposed a devolution from, considering it saw the beginning of the disintegration of the United Kingdom. The Labour Party behaved long time compared to the ideas of decentralization of the United Kingdom skeptical, but took in 1992, even as an opposition party, the goal of creating a Welsh Parliament in their party program. Leading Welsh Labour politician had Ron Davies and Rhodri Morgan. Unlike in Scotland, there was no greater coalition between different parties for the joint pursuit of the goal of Welsh self-government within the United Kingdom, but the Labour Party was in this question and the dominant political driving force. In March 1996 there was an agreement between the chairman of the Welsh Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats in Wales, Ron Davies and Alex Carlile on the common support of a 'yes' vote in a future referendum on the establishment of a Welsh Parliament. After the Labour Party had agreed to an Additional Members System suffrage instead of the original target of her first-past -the -post, also the Liberal Party and the separatist regional party Plaid Cymru joined the referendum supporters.

Conduct of the referendum and results

After Labour won the 1997 General Election on 1 May 1997 in a landslide victory, the promised referendum on 18 September 1997, it was stated. A week before the referendum in Scotland took place, which ended with a convincing victory for the advocates of self-government. The two statements that were presented to the Welsh parallel in English and Welsh language and were alternatively by check mark were:

"I agree thatthere Should be a Welsh Assembly / I do not agree thatthere Should be a Welsh Assembly. Yr wyf yn y cytuno dylid cael cynulliad i Gymru / Nid wyf yn y cytuno dylid cael cynulliadi Gymru "

"I am in favor of a Welsh parliament is formed. / I am against a Welsh parliament is formed. "

Proponents of self-government of Wales rallied under the slogan Yes for Wales ( "Yes to Wales "). This reflected the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru. Even a few conservatives like Sir Wyn Roberts, who had been active in the Welsh Office of the British Government 1979-1995, supported the Yes campaign. Opponents of devolution occurred under the slogan " Just Say No " to ( " Just say no"). This reflected mainly activists of the Conservative Party, but also some dissidents of the Labour Party.

The result of the referendum was very close and on election night last hung everything on the results from Carmarthenshire, who arrived last. Ultimately argument won with 559 419 ( 50.3 %) against 552 698 ( 47.7 %) votes. The turnout was 50.1 %.

• The majority of 'yes'
• The majority of 'No'

• 30.1 to 39.9 %
• 40.0 to 49.9 %
• 50.0 to 59.9 %
• ≥ 60.0%

• 30.1 to 39.9 %
• 40.0 to 49.9 %
• 50.0 to 59.9 %
• ≥ 60.0%

In consequence of the referendum result gained the Government of Wales Act, which regulated the Welsh self-government, in 1998 the force of law. On 6 May 1999, the first elections were held for the newly created National Assembly for Wales.