First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “I have a vision for Wales, I support an independent Wales.”
He said it was about “improving a lot of the people of Wales, tackling injustices, tackling unfairness, tackling inequalities, creating prosperity”.
He added: “In the here and now, I deal with those issues dealing with the UK prime minister.”
In October, the first ministers of Wales and Scotland met with Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Glasgow for the National Economic Council, where devolution and funding were discussed.
Ap Iorwerth said there was “a new understanding of the injustice of rail expenditure in Wales” from Burnham, as well as “a realisation that this hasn’t been given enough attention politically by UK governments in the past”.
Following the 2026 Autumn Budget, ap Iorwerth told BBC Wales there were “paltry sums of money coming on rail, when they’ve said there’s £14bn on the way” and a “real terms cut in the money we have to spend on public services”.
A UK government spokesman said: “The prime minister passionately believes in our union and is optimistic about the future of the United Kingdom.
“Our position on referendums is clear – the prime minister is focused on practical solutions to help people with the cost of living and make a positive difference in people’s everyday lives, not constitutional questions.
“Through the convening power of No10 North, the prime minister will build a constructive working relationship with each devolved government to explore how we can together contribute to regional empowerment, reindustrialisation and achieving good growth in every postcode.”
Additional reporting by Gwenno Robinson
