English/Nat A corner of the British isles could soon take its first step towards independence. On September 18, the people of Wales will vote on whether to install their own national assembly which would become responsible for key public services in the principality. The British government and referendum supporters say an assembly would improve democracy in Wales. But critics argue the assembly plans do not go far enough as Wales would have none of its own revenue-raising powers and no control over its primary legislation. For many foreign visitors to Britain, Wales is a place they have never heard of or may never even have known existed, yet it has been united with England since 1542. The coal mines and row upon row of miners cottages have been as much a part of Britain as Buckingham Palace or Big Ben and Wales and England share the same systems of law, land tenure and local government. But the principality has a history, language and culture all of its own which its two point nine (m) million people are keen to preserve. Since Roman times there have been battles over Welsh independence and it seems that whatever the outcome on September 18, for some the struggle isn't over yet. This battle reenactment in the grounds of Bodelwyddan Castle in north Wales charts the history of the relationship between the two countries. Through invasions of Britain from the Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans, Wales remained a Celtic stronghold. Even after unity was achieved, conflicts, uprisings and civil wars followed. But it's in the south of the country where the next action for independence will take place. The Welsh capital city of Cardiff, in the south of Wales, will become home to the assembly if it is voted in. Cardiff City Hall will house the 60-member assembly and one of the first jobs for its members will be to spearhead a new development strategy to bring new jobs to Wales. Valerie Feld from the Yes For Wales Campaign hopes the introduction of an assembly will eventually lead to a brighter future for Wales. She believes an assembly would not just be about a form of independence, but also about national pride and self-respect. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Wales is a nation within the United Kingdom. There are a lot of things that are different here. We have our own language. We live in a particularly rural country. We have a very changing economy and we believe it's very important that the people of Wales have a voice which is heard in Whitehall and elsewhere." SUPER CAPTION: Valerie Feld, spokeswoman Yes For Wales Campaign But not everyone is happy with the proposals. Comparisons are being made between the Welsh vote and the vote in Scotland a week earlier. Welsh voters are asking why their deal is so poor compared to the Scots who stand to gain their own parliament with their own spending powers. But Valerie thinks the Welsh have everything to gain from a Yes vote. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Now that we see that right across the world, that regions have their own government, that they can be very effective, I think it is viewed much more favourably. It's viewed as being about bringing decision-making to the level of people so that people can be involved and so that we can revitalise our democracies." SUPER CAPTION: Valerie Feld, spokeswoman Yes For Wales Campaign But critics argue that an assembly is a waste of taxpayers' money and are urging people to vote against the assembly. SOUNDBITE:(English) SUPER CAPTION: Nick Bourne, spokesman Just Say No Campaign In the rural north and west of Wales, Welsh remains the first language with around 75 percent of the population Welsh-speaking. Welsh minister Peter Hain believes the new Labour government can provide a better future for Wales. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e63c73284d292effdb9fe597bb8bfce2 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 28 Jul 2015
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