'Ask Wales' before raising taxes

There have been calls for the assembly to have more powers

A leading campaigner for devolution has warned that there must be another referendum before the Welsh assembly is given the power to raise taxes.

Rhondda AM Leighton Andrews - one of the founder of the Yes for Wales devolution campaign in 1997 - said Labour should not "foist" tax-raising on Wales without voter approval .

Mr Andrews will tell the Fabian Society's conference in Cardiff on Saturday that Labour will need to forge a new consensus when the Richard Commission reports next year on devolution.

In a speech released ahead of the conference, he said he wanted Labour to appoint a working party once the Richard Commission reports in February, and he said the working party should comprise AMs, MPs and representatives of the Labour Party membership in Wales.

"The consensus that we are seeking to forge should consist of a number of elements," he said.

"First, it should be clear that Welsh Labour would not foist tax-varying powers on Wales without a referendum. If the people of Scotland were able to vote on this, so should the people of Wales."

Mr Andrews believes there should be an active debate on whether the principle of granting full law-making powers to the assembly would be a change in the 1997 settlement - and if so, whether another referendum was needed.

He also wants a "tidying-up" of the rules governing standing for an assembly seat.

"We should commit ourselves to ensuring that candidates can stand for a constituency seat or a regional list seat, not both," he said.

"We should end the obscenity whereby tax-payers pay for regional list AMs to campaign to unseat particular constituency AMs.

"The Scottish Parliament's code of conduct on relationships between constituency and regional list MSPs should also be adopted in Wales."