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Wales says Yes in referendum vote
2011-03-05 08:06:48
4 March 2011 Last updated at 19:39 Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Wales says Yes in referendum vote Latest Results in full Q&A $render("hypertabs","hypertab");
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//Swansea Market workers Linda Colley, a No voter, and Paul Oliver, a Yes supporter gave their reactions
She urged the start of a "new era of devolution" in which "the tendency of the Welsh government to be the collective chip on the shoulder of Wales must end and in which the culture of blame is replaced by a culture of responsibility".
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who arrived in Cardiff for the party's weekend conference, said the Yes vote was a turning point.
"For the first time ever, laws that affect only Wales will be made only in Wales."
"It will do away with the current restrictive and unwieldy arrangements and it will allow the Welsh Assembly the freedom to get on with the job of delivering for Wales."
Conservative Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said there had been concern over turnout and whether the result would not be clear cut. But she called it "a good day for Wales".
Nick Bourne, leader of the assembly Conservatives, said: "Assembly Members of all parties now need to get down to the job of law-making in the most efficient and effective manner to deliver for the people of Wales.
"Welsh Conservatives are committed to making the next stage of devolution a success, as we have strived to make it work over the past 12 years."
While Monmouthshire voted No, it was by only a narrow margin of 320 votes, and by 50.6% to 49.4%.
The areas which delivered the biggest Yes votes were Gwynedd, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it topped 70% in each case.
A No vote would have kept the current system where the assembly asked Parliament for powers to be transferred to Cardiff on a case-by-case basis.
'Turning point'
Roger Lewis, chairman of the Yes For Wales campaign, said he was delighted, adding: "It is clear, the people of Wales have spoken."
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//BBC Welsh Affairs Editor Vaughan Roderick rounds up what happened
"The vote in favour of enhanced law-making powers will allow the national assembly for Wales and Welsh assembly government to get on with their job of delivering better public services and improving the quality of life for the people of Wales in areas for which they have responsibility."
An opinion poll for BBC Wales this week found almost half of potential voters felt they lacked enough information to make an informed decision.
A poll conducted by ICM in the days leading up to the referendum found 48% of respondents said they had not received enough information. Exactly half said that they had.
It suggests an assembly with law-making and some taxation powers remains most popular - 35% - while 18% supported a law-making assembly without taxation powers, while 17% wanted the assembly to continue as it is.
Independence was favoured by 16%, and 15% wanted the assembly abolished.
ICM interviewed 1,003 adults on 1 and 2 March.