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19 January 2011
Last updated at 13:10 ET
The Welsh assembly has failed to deliver, campaigners against devolving more law-making powers have said.
A group calling for a No vote in the 3 March referendum launched its campaign on Wednesday.
Its organisers said the assembly had failed to achieve what was promised in 1997 and they will decline any funding for their campaign.
The opposing Yes For Wales campaign is backed by the leadership of Wales' four main political parties.
The No campaign was launched at Newbridge Rugby Club, in Caerphilly,
Its director Rachel Banner said True Wales would apply to be the designated as a campaign for the referendum, but would decline the £70,000 on offer to lead campaigns from the Electoral Commission.
She said: "Enough of the hard-earned money of the hard-working people of Wales has been spent on giving more power to politicians."
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
Ms Banner also attacked what she called Cardiff Bay's "political class".
"But - so far - with the tools it already has, the assembly has failed to achieve what was promised in 1997," she said.
She said Wales received worse health services than England, despite Aneurin Bevan's promise of a universal and equal health care for everyone in the UK.
Boosting the assembly's law-making powers was part of a "slippery slope" towards independence, she said.
"It's time to stop treating the people of Wales like children with whom the Bay political class cannot share the secrets of its unravelling radical devolution."
Continue reading the main story Analysis
Remember how the Yes campaign put up ordinary people instead of politicians on the morning of their launch? Why? Because when True Wales launch their No campaign in Newbridge Rugby Club this afternoon, it'll be run by, organised by and aimed at ordinary people. In a politicians v ordinary bloke battle... well let's say the politicians aren't a shoo-in.
True Wales argue more powers for the assembly means more money for politicians in Cardiff Bay whose track record is one of failure - so why make it easier for them to legislate?
They argue a Yes vote means moving further along that "slippery-slope" to independence.
And True Wales believes that even if the current system is slow and cumbersome - they're not arguing otherwise - it is better than passing new laws without the scrutiny of Westminster. True Wales sees necessary checks and balances where others see unnecessary interference.
A David and Goliath battle may well suit the No campaign rather nicely, but they must marshall their arguments and persuade people to turn out and vote on the day, not simply feel aggrieved at home. Opinion polls suggest they're having a hard time doing that. True Wales say their own research out on the streets says otherwise.
So far they've proven they're not afraid to go for the man and not the ball by attacking the people running the Yes campaign. Dirty tactics say their opponents, who claim its irresponsible to talk about independence. But both sides know planting that seed in the mind of some voters will persuade them to turn out to say "no" to more law-making powers.
Ms Banner, a teacher and Labour party member, said True Wales offered "a better, more forward-looking form of devolution".
Politicians should hand power over to people, instead of "centralising" power in Cardiff Bay and turning the assembly into a "pale copy of Westminster", she said.
The referendum will be held on 3 March.
It will be the third devolution referendum in Wales since proposals to create an assembly were heavily defeated at the first vote in 1979.
The second referendum in 1997 resulted in a narrow Yes vote which led to the opening of the assembly two years later.
At present the assembly can ask parliament to transfer primary law-making powers in devolved fields on a case-by-case basis.
The opposing Yes For Wales campaign, launched earlier this month, is backed by the leadership of Wales' four main political parties.
The Yes For Wales campaign said the assembly would be more efficient and accountable if it did not have to seek "permission" to pass laws.
Speaking for the Yes campaign, Gwyn Griffiths, a retired teacher from Caerphilly, said: "The people of Wales have the right to expect that laws only affecting Wales should be made in Wales.
"I simply cannot understand why anyone would want to keep a system which requires Wales to ask 'permission' to manage its own affairs, and denies us similar rights enjoyed by the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
"The Yes campaign has a simple, positive message which already has the support of people from all walks of life."
True Wales describes itself as a grassroots movement opposed to more law-making powers for the assembly.
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A group calling for a No vote in the 3 March referendum launched its campaign on Wednesday.
Its organisers said the assembly had failed to achieve what was promised in 1997 and they will decline any funding for their campaign.
The opposing Yes For Wales campaign is backed by the leadership of Wales' four main political parties.
The No campaign was launched at Newbridge Rugby Club, in Caerphilly,
Its director Rachel Banner said True Wales would apply to be the designated as a campaign for the referendum, but would decline the £70,000 on offer to lead campaigns from the Electoral Commission.
She said: "Enough of the hard-earned money of the hard-working people of Wales has been spent on giving more power to politicians."
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
It's time to stop treating the people of Wales like children ”
End Quote
Rachel Banner
True Wales
Ms Banner also attacked what she called Cardiff Bay's "political class".
"But - so far - with the tools it already has, the assembly has failed to achieve what was promised in 1997," she said.
She said Wales received worse health services than England, despite Aneurin Bevan's promise of a universal and equal health care for everyone in the UK.
Boosting the assembly's law-making powers was part of a "slippery slope" towards independence, she said.
"It's time to stop treating the people of Wales like children with whom the Bay political class cannot share the secrets of its unravelling radical devolution."
Continue reading the main story Analysis
Remember how the Yes campaign put up ordinary people instead of politicians on the morning of their launch? Why? Because when True Wales launch their No campaign in Newbridge Rugby Club this afternoon, it'll be run by, organised by and aimed at ordinary people. In a politicians v ordinary bloke battle... well let's say the politicians aren't a shoo-in.
True Wales argue more powers for the assembly means more money for politicians in Cardiff Bay whose track record is one of failure - so why make it easier for them to legislate?
They argue a Yes vote means moving further along that "slippery-slope" to independence.
And True Wales believes that even if the current system is slow and cumbersome - they're not arguing otherwise - it is better than passing new laws without the scrutiny of Westminster. True Wales sees necessary checks and balances where others see unnecessary interference.
A David and Goliath battle may well suit the No campaign rather nicely, but they must marshall their arguments and persuade people to turn out and vote on the day, not simply feel aggrieved at home. Opinion polls suggest they're having a hard time doing that. True Wales say their own research out on the streets says otherwise.
So far they've proven they're not afraid to go for the man and not the ball by attacking the people running the Yes campaign. Dirty tactics say their opponents, who claim its irresponsible to talk about independence. But both sides know planting that seed in the mind of some voters will persuade them to turn out to say "no" to more law-making powers.
Ms Banner, a teacher and Labour party member, said True Wales offered "a better, more forward-looking form of devolution".
Politicians should hand power over to people, instead of "centralising" power in Cardiff Bay and turning the assembly into a "pale copy of Westminster", she said.
The referendum will be held on 3 March.
It will be the third devolution referendum in Wales since proposals to create an assembly were heavily defeated at the first vote in 1979.
The second referendum in 1997 resulted in a narrow Yes vote which led to the opening of the assembly two years later.
At present the assembly can ask parliament to transfer primary law-making powers in devolved fields on a case-by-case basis.
The opposing Yes For Wales campaign, launched earlier this month, is backed by the leadership of Wales' four main political parties.
The Yes For Wales campaign said the assembly would be more efficient and accountable if it did not have to seek "permission" to pass laws.
Speaking for the Yes campaign, Gwyn Griffiths, a retired teacher from Caerphilly, said: "The people of Wales have the right to expect that laws only affecting Wales should be made in Wales.
"I simply cannot understand why anyone would want to keep a system which requires Wales to ask 'permission' to manage its own affairs, and denies us similar rights enjoyed by the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
"The Yes campaign has a simple, positive message which already has the support of people from all walks of life."
True Wales describes itself as a grassroots movement opposed to more law-making powers for the assembly.
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