WELSH public opinion is divided on issues of income tax-varying powers for the Welsh Government according to a new opinion poll.

The Welsh public is almost evenly split on whether they would support or oppose the Welsh Government having the power to vary rates of income tax in Wales according to the latest opinion poll conducted by the Beaufort Omnibus Survey.

Almost a third of the adult population in Wales (32 per cent) said they would vote in favour, if there were a referendum now on whether the Welsh Government should be given the power to vary rates of income tax.

The survey conducted in November, surveyed 1,022 adults in Wales aged 16 and over, who were asked how would they vote in a referendum. Fluent Welsh speakers where among those who were most likely to support the Welsh Government with 46 per cent in favour compared with 30 per cent of Non-Welsh speakers who were in favour of more powers.

Those in South East Wales were more likely to vote against the Welsh Government having this power with 32 per cent against this proposal. More than a quarter of younger people aged 16 to 34 said they would not vote but respondents in this age category voted 33 per cent in favour of the power to vary income tax.

The survey also found that older respondents aged 55 and over were more likely to vote against new tax-varying powers with 38 per cent saying no.