Referendum or popular consultation
Welsh law-making powers referendum, 2011
Voters backed full law-making powers for the Assembly in its 20 devolved subject areas, by 63.5% to 36.5%.
The vote
- Jurisdiction
- Wales
- Organising authority
- The Electoral Commission, under the Government of Wales Act 2006
- Legal character
- Legally bindingA Yes vote engaged the statutory mechanism in section 105 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, requiring Welsh Ministers to order Part 4 into force, subject to Assembly approval.[1]
- Geographical scope
- Wales
- Who could vote
- The Welsh parliamentary and local government electorate, as compiled by the Electoral Commission for the 2011 poll.
“Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for?”
| Option | Votes | Official % | Calculated % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 517,132 | 63.5% | Not reported |
| No | 297,380 | 36.5% | Not reported |
- Valid votes
- Not reported
- Invalid votes
- Not reported
- Blank votes
- Not reported
- Total ballots cast
- 814,512
- Registered electorate
- Not reported
- Turnout
- 35.6%official figure
What happened
Voters were asked: "Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for?"[5] Under section 105 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, a Yes vote required Welsh Ministers to bring full law-making powers into force by order, subject to Assembly approval.[1]
On 3 March 2011, 63.5% (517,132 votes) voted Yes and 36.5% (297,380 votes) voted No, on a turnout of 35.6%.[2] Yes won in 21 of the 22 local authorities; only Monmouthshire recorded a No majority, and Gwynedd recorded the highest Yes share.[3] Turnout ranged from 27.0% in Wrexham to 44.4% in Carmarthenshire.[4]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Under section 105 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, a Yes vote required Welsh Ministers to make an order bringing Part 4 (full law-making competence in the devolved subject areas) into force, subject to approval by a majority of Assembly Members in plenary.
- Government of Wales Act 2006, section 103–105 (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), 2006) link, s. 105. Source record
- Jennings, Martin, Results of the National Assembly for Wales Referendum 2011 (National Assembly for Wales, Members' Research Service, March 2011) link, Commencement provisions. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
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2.
Claim: In the referendum of 3 March 2011, 63.5% (517,132 votes) voted Yes and 36.5% (297,380 votes) voted No, on a turnout of 35.6%.
- Jennings, Martin, Results of the National Assembly for Wales Referendum 2011 (National Assembly for Wales, Members' Research Service, March 2011) link, Overall Result. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
-
3.
Claim: Yes won in 21 of the 22 Welsh local authorities; Monmouthshire was the only authority where a majority voted No (50.6%), and Gwynedd recorded the highest Yes share (76.0%).
- Jennings, Martin, Results of the National Assembly for Wales Referendum 2011 (National Assembly for Wales, Members' Research Service, March 2011) link, Overall Result; Table 1. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
-
4.
Claim: Turnout by local authority ranged from 27.0% in Wrexham to 44.4% in Carmarthenshire.
- Jennings, Martin, Results of the National Assembly for Wales Referendum 2011 (National Assembly for Wales, Members' Research Service, March 2011) link, Overall Result. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
-
5.
Claim: The 2011 referendum asked: "Do you want the Assembly now to be able to make laws on all matters in the 20 subject areas it has powers for?"
- Jennings, Martin, Results of the National Assembly for Wales Referendum 2011 (National Assembly for Wales, Members' Research Service, March 2011) link, Introduction. Government perspective or primary official source Source record