With its own Senedd and legislative powers, Wales is already on a journey to independence. This report charts the next steps. It says an independent Wales should seek membership of the European Union, with a possible provisional step being membership of the European Free Trade Area. It recommends that Wales explores a confederal relationship with England and Scotland. It proposes improvements to the operation of the Welsh Government and civil service, points the way to drawing up a Welsh Constitution, and sets out a framework for a Self-Determination Bill to take the independence process forward. A statutory National Commission should provide the people of Wales with a clear understanding of the options for their political future. Citizens' Assemblies drawn from across the spectrum of Welsh life would have a vital input. An initial referendum should test a range of constitutional options with the outcome used to persuade the UK Government to agree to a further binary referendum. The Welsh people would then choose between the status quo and their preferred choice in the first referendum.
