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A Plaid Cymru Welsh government would aim to establish a national commission to explore Wales’s constitutional future, including a potential path toward independence, within its first 100 days in office.
The party’s leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, confirmed a Plaid Cymru Welsh government would rule out a referendum should the it win power in May’s election.
But his party has pledged to “spark a national conversation about the next steps on our constitution journey”.
Just 26% of adults in Wales say they would vote for independence if a referendum were held, according to YouGov polling carried out in January this year.
Although this is the highest level of support recorded, a majority (54%) would still vote against independence.
When questioned by Sky News on whether the commission was a good use of public money given the lack of support for an independent Wales, Mr ap Iorwerth said it would be using “taxpayers money to see if there a better way of governing Wales”.
He added: “We’re using taxpayers here to get to grips with problems in health, to build a stronger economy, to raise standards in education, to offer a childcare offer that’s the most generous in the UK.”
He went on: “This is about governing Wales better. We are on a journey. We have come a long way on a journey over the last 30 years where we do have a parliament and a government of our own now.
“People tell me they agree with me whether they believe in independence or not. That’s by the by. But they agree with me that we should always be investigating and pushing the boundaries of whether there’s a better way of running Wales.”
A Welsh Labour source told Sky News: “This commission is a first step in the independence plan they claim to not be pursuing.
“This commission will not be without cost, meanwhile they’re talking about…
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