Petition calling on Westminster to grant Welsh independence referendum signed by thousands

A petition calling on Westminster to grant Wales a referendum on independence has been signed by over 2,000 people.

The petition created on Monday by Carina Josephine Williams of Anglesey calls on the House of Commons to “let there be a referendum for Welsh independence”.

The petition can be found here.

“The IndyWales movement has gained many supporters and followers recently,” the petition says.

“Many people support an independent Wales. Let Welsh people have a referendum and make the choice.”

A petition needs 10,000 signatures for a response by the UK Government and 100,000 to be be considered for debate in Parliament.

The ‘petition map’ showed that the petition has attracted signatures from across Wales, with Arfon and Gwynedd the most popular constituencies, and Newport East and Alyn and Deeside the least.

Outside of Wales, the highest support had come from Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey in Scotland.

‘Exploratory’

Last month Plaid Cymru launched a report which suggested that Wales should hold its own advisory referendum on the options for the nation’s constitutional future before approaching Westminster to request a binary in/out independence vote.

The Independence Commission Report recommended that the Welsh Government should test the views of the people of Wales in an initial exploratory referendum, setting out constitutional options.

The outcome should be used to persuade the UK Government to agree to a binary referendum on the status quo versus the preferred choice expressed in the first referendum.

“The Commission should explore the New Zealand approach to testing the views of the people of Wales in an initial exploratory referendum, setting out constitutional options,” the report says.

“It should be made clear that the outcome will be used to persuade the UK Westminster Government to agree to a binary referendum on the status quo versus the preferred choice in the first referendum.”