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.
This is the second edition of the report and includes a new Foreword written by John Osmond.
