Do you agree that there should be a Welsh Assembly as proposed by the Government?
Outcome
The Government of Wales Act 1998 passes and the National Assembly for Wales is formed.
Results
Choice
Votes
%
Yes
559,419
50.30%
No
552,698
49.70%
Valid votes
1,112,117
99.64%
Invalid or blank votes
3,999
0.36%
Total votes
1,116,116
100.00%
Registered voters/turnout
2,222,533
50.22%
Results by unitary authorities
Saturation of colour reflects the strength of the vote.
This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the
Politics of Wales
The Crown
The Monarch
Charles III
Heir Apparent
William, Prince of Wales
Prerogative
Royal family
Succession
Privy Council
King-in-Parliament
Lord-lieutenant
Llwynywermod
England and Wales
Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
Principality of Wales
Welsh republicanism
Government
Welsh Government Gething government (list)
First Minister (list)
Rt Hon Vaughan Gething MS (L)
Cabinet
Civil Service
Welsh Budget
Taxation
Directorates
Sponsored bodies
State-owned enterprises
Crown Buildings, Cathays Park
Counsel General – Mick Antoniw MS (L)
Chief Whip and Trefnydd – Jane Hutt MS (L)
International relations
Internal diplomatic missions
Welsh Government international offices
Legislature
Senedd
Sixth Senedd
Llywydd (Presiding Officer)
Elin Jones MS (PC)
Leader of the Opposition
Andrew RT Davies MS (C)
Shadow Cabinet (current)
Primary legislation (list)
Acts
Measures
Statutory instruments
Members (MSs)
Current members
Elections (by-elections)
Constituencies and electoral regions
First Minister's Questions
Devolution referendum (2011 referendum)
Government of Wales Act 1998
2006 Act
2014 Act
2017 Act
Senedd estate, Cardiff Bay
(Senedd building
Tŷ Hywel
Pierhead Building)
Wales and the United Kingdom
HM Government
Sunak ministry
Prime Minister
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP (C)
Secretary of State for Wales
Rt Hon David TC Davies MP (C)
UK Parliament
58th Parliament
House of Commons
Wales Office
Under-Secretary
Welsh Grand Committee
Welsh Affairs Select Committee
Interministerial Standing Committee
Government of Wales Act 2006
Elections
Constituencies
Current Westminster MPs
Diplomatic missions
Barnett formula
Devolution
Devolved matters
Reserved matters
Legislative consent motion
Unionism
Independence
Politics of the United Kingdom
Law and justice
Welsh law
English law
Wales-only laws
Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542
Wales and Berwick Act 1746
Capital of Wales: Cardiff
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Courts of England and Wales
President of Welsh Tribunals
Police forces
Police and crime commissioner (list)
Local administration
History
Subdivisions of Wales
Historic counties (list)
Preserved counties (list)
Principal areas (list)
Former districts
list pre-1973
list 1974-1996
Communities (list)
Local government
Principal councils (leader list)
Corporate Joint Committees
Cities (list)
Cardiff (Mayor / Council)
Swansea (Mayor / Council)
Newport (Mayor / Council)
Wrexham (Mayor / Council)
Community council (list)
Communities with city status
Bangor
St Asaph
St Davids
Local twinning
see also: Regional terms and Regional economy
Elections and referendums
Senedd elections
1999
2003
2007
2011
2016
2021
Next
United Kingdom Parliament elections
1801 co-option
1802
1806
1807
1812
1818
1820
1826
1830
1831
1832
1835
1837
1841
1847
1852
1857
1859
1865
1868
1874
1880
1885
1886
1892
1895
1900
1906
1910 (Jan)
1910 (Dec)
1918
1922
1923
1924
1929
1931
1935
1945
1950
1951
1955
1959
1964
1966
1970
1974 (Feb)
1974 (Oct)
1979
1983
1987
1992
1997
2001
2005
2010
2015
2017
2019
European Parliament elections (1979–2020)
1979
1984
1989
1994
1999
2004
2009
2014
2019
Local elections
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1999
2004
2008
2012
2017
2022
Police and crime commissioner elections
2012
2016
2021
Referendums
1975
1979
1997
2011
2011
2016
1915–16 Anglican border polls
2004 Ceredigion mayoral
Senedd constituencies and electoral regions
UK parliamentary constituencies in Wales
Political parties
Represented in the Senedd
(Labour
Conservatives
Plaid Cymru
Liberal Democrats)
Think tanks
Category
Wales portal
Other countries
v
t
e
National and regional referendums held within the United Kingdom and its constituent countries
Northern Ireland border poll
1973
EC membership referendum
1975
Scottish devolution referendum
1979
Welsh devolution referendum
1979
Scottish devolution referendum
1997
Welsh devolution referendum
1997
Greater London Authority referendum
1998
NI Good Friday Agreement referendum
1998
NE England devolution referendum
2004
Welsh devolution referendum
2011
Alternative Vote referendum
2011
Scottish independence referendum
2014
EU membership referendum
2016
* UK-wide referendums in bold
v
t
e
The Welsh devolution referendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Wales on 18 September 1997 over whether there was support for the creation of a National Assembly for Wales, and therefore a degree of self-government. The referendum was a Labour manifesto commitment and was held in their first term after the 1997 election under the provisions of the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Act 1997. This was the second referendum held in Wales over the question of devolution: the first referendum was held in 1979 and was defeated by a large majority.
The referendum resulted in a narrow majority in favour, which led to the passing of the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the formation of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999.
and 29 Related for: 1997 Welsh devolution referendum information
The Welshdevolutionreferendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Wales on 18 September 1997 over whether there was support for the creation...
The 1979 Welshdevolutionreferendum was a post-legislative referendum held on 1 March 1979 (Saint David's Day) to decide whether there was sufficient...
The Scottish devolutionreferendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Scotland on 11 September 1997 over whether there was support for the...
of Welshdevolution. In 1979, a referendum on devolution was rejected by 79% of voters amid regional divisions and cultural concerns, but by 1997 support...
Assembly Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom) 1979 Welshdevolutionreferendum The percentage of the electorate voting Yes was 32.5% on an unadjusted...
further Welshdevolution, increasing the autonomy for Wales, since the Welsh legislature of the Senedd was founded following the 1997Welshdevolution referendum...
diminishing support for the abolition of the Assembly. The 2011 Welshdevolutionreferendum saw a majority of 21 local authority constituencies to 1 voting...
The Greater London Authority referendum of 1998 was held in Greater London on 7 May 1998, asking whether there was support for creating a Greater London...
The North East England devolutionreferendum was an all postal ballot referendum that took place on 4 November 2004 throughout North East England on whether...
transferred devolved powers to the assembly. The act followed the 1997Welshdevolutionreferendum. The Government for Wales Act 1998 brought about the then National...
returned to power in a landslide electoral victory in May 1997. A second Scottish devolutionreferendum was held later that year, as promised in the Labour...
general election held in Wales after the successful 1997 Welsh devolutionreferendum. The election was held alongside the Scottish Parliament election...
committed to devolution for both Scotland and Wales, and in 1997 it was elected with a mandate to hold referendums on a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly...
nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self-determination, which includes Welshdevolution, meaning increased...
vote in the 1997Welshdevolutionreferendum to create a National Assembly for Wales. It was supported by the Welsh Labour Party, Welsh Liberal Democrats...
Conservative government's proposals as an attempt to seize power and undo devolution. Most parties in Northern Ireland expressed concern at the Bill, though...
the referendum. The referendum resulted in a narrow Yes majority but fell short of the 40% requirement. The Scottish devolutionreferendum of 1997 was...
The Good Friday Agreement referendum, 1998 was a referendum held in Northern Ireland over whether there was support for the Good Friday Agreement. The...
legislation for a referendum was not put forward. Proportional systems were introduced for the new Scottish Parliament and Welsh and London Assemblies...
wiping out the Conservatives' Welsh representation and polling 55 per cent. The stage was set for another devolutionreferendum, this time won by the narrowest...
demands for home rule within the United Kingdom. Two referendums on devolution were held in 1979 and 1997, with a devolved Scottish Parliament being established...
devolved legislatures in referendums in 1997 and 1998 (see 1997 Scottish devolutionreferendum, 1997Welshdevolutionreferendum, and 1998 Northern Irish...
majority of seats at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. This led to a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014, where voters were asked: "Should Scotland...
Global Information
