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The United Kingdom

Wales

Wales (Cymru in Welsh), where 16 per cent of the 2.9 million population speak, read and write the Welsh language, has a legislative Assembly that gives that nation significantly less autonomy than Scotland. The Assembly has limited powers and no ability to raise revenue.

National Assembly for Wales sign
National Assembly for Wales building

As with Scotland, the people of Wales are over-represented in the UK parliament. Their MPs also vote on laws for England while MPs for England are unable to vote on the laws for Wales that are made in the legislative assembly for Wales.

The Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales), surprised many by winning 17 of the 60 seats in the first election to the new Assembly. However, the other 43 seats were taken by non-nationalist parties. In 2011 there were just 11 Plaid Cymru legislators and 49 other law makers.

An opinion poll in September 2014 suggested that just of 3 percent of the people of Wales supported independence from the UK. 49 percent wanted the Welsh assembly to have more power but 12 percent wanted it abolished.

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