Rachel Banner founded the pressure group True Wales which opposes devolution in Wales. She talks to reporter TOMOS POVEY of her life growing up in Pontypool, what shaped her political convictions and why she became an activist.

I AM from Pontypool and was born in Panteg Hospital.

My parents are Tony and Diane.

My father is speaker secretary of Pontypool Retired Men’s Society.

My mother was born in Abertillery and brought up in Six Bells. She came from a left-wing background.

Her father had set up the first baker’s union in Aberbeeg and strongly believed that working people should be treated fairly.

My mother gave up work to bring my brother and I up, as many women did in those days. Then she did various jobs such as working in Tesco and in offices. Her last job was as Huw Edwards’ personal assistant.

Mum always described him as an excellent employer - kind and thoughtful.

I had a very happy childhood growing up in Pontypool.

I went to West Monmouth School and later to Queen Mary, University of London and Jesus College, University of Oxford. I read English.

After graduation I became a teacher, working first in Pontypool College, then for six years at Llanishen High School in Cardiff before leaving to live in Italy for five years.

On returning, I taught at St Albans RC High School for about 18 months.

I joined the Labour Party as soon as I was old enough to do so.

I was passionate about Labour. Perhaps that feeling came from my mother’s side of the family.

I joined because I felt they would bring social justice to this country and would help people who did not have much.

I saw big Labour Party figures like Neil Kinnock and Barbara Castle speak. They were superb orators.

I then went to work in Italy for one year but stayed for almost six years.

I love Italy - its culture and scenery is incredible.

I think travelling opens your mind.

When I returned to Wales in 2007, I had noticed how things had changed following devolution.

I felt that Cardiff Bay was not - and is still not - delivering for the people of Wales. I feel it has become a bit of a gravy train.

The Assembly political class was already calling for law-making power, yet in health, education and the economy we were at the bottom of the tables. This remains the case. Why do politicians want more powers when they are not using those they already have to make things work?

My mother and I felt that the Welsh Assembly needed to be challenged on its poor record. The problem was it caused outrage in some quarters of the Labour Party. I also raised the question when Ed Miliband visited, objecting to the fact that Labour members were being mandated to support a Yes vote.

We came to understand that if we were to do something we would need to set up a cross-party group.

We then saw a letter in the South Wales Argus from two Caerphilly councillors raising concerns about separation from the UK. A meeting was organised and True Wales was born - an alliance, initially, of Labour and Conservative supporters and members.

We agreed that the movement would push against full law making powers during the coming referendum.

There were people all across Wales delivering leaflets on why the Assembly should not have full law making powers. We camped in different parts of Wales, sometimes in torrential rain!

It was a hard campaign because our group comprised ordinary people who were against the might of the political establishment.

It is important to note that everything we did we paid for ourselves.

Our message was that if the Assembly took on full law making powers it would be a slippery slope to separatism.

We also argued until we were blue in the face that there would be more AMs. We were told that would not happen but there are now calls to make an increase.

We were disappointed that we lost the referendum, but we knew the odds were against us.

I did hope that things would improve post-2011 but that has not been the case.

And to fast forward to 2018, True Wales is still active.

We continue to feel the Assembly is failing and believe there is no real hope of improvement.

You cannot keep blaming Westminster for everything - especially when you have the tools for the job.

There are calls for a separate legal jurisdiction, devolution of criminal justice and more AMs.

When politicians introduced tax powers, they reneged on their commitment to seek the consent of the people. Any future referendum is likely to be on independence. We will be ready for that fight.