WALES must take bold steps on its journey towards independence and embrace further powers on policing, justice and welfare, the leader of Plaid Cymru is expected to say on Wednesday.

Rhun ap Iorwerth will set out his party’s vision for the “journey to independence” at a keynote speech at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre in Cardiff.

The speech follows the publication of the Independent Commission On The Constitutional Future Of Wales’s final report on January 18, which concluded that the status quo was not a viable foundation for the stability and prosperity of the nation.

It instead said that three options – independence, a federal system and enhancing devolution – were all viable constitutional alternatives.

Mr ap Iorwerth is expected to say that the ability to build a fairer Wales goes “hand in hand” with constitutional change, calling the commission’s report “groundbreaking”.

“It recognised that the status-quo is unsustainable and critically showed that independence is a realistic and achievable end goal,” he will say.

“It also shows that we are right to be ambitious for Wales, and that we should not constrain or put limits on that ambition.

“We in Plaid Cymru know that independence is not only viable, but that it is ultimately the best and most sustainable option for Wales’s future.

“I have long said that independence is a journey. It’s a journey whose destination is one I’ve always aspired to reach as early as we can, because I am convinced that that is when Wales can really begin to flourish, but we must travel it together as nation.

“We know that this is not as good as it gets for Wales. We know that successive Welsh Labour governments have lacked ambition, too often happy to settle for the status quo and rarely looking to use the levers they have at their disposal to grow our economy, tackle the scourge of child poverty or deliver a heath service that is fit for purpose.

“We will never stop making the case for more powers, nor for greater and better use of them.”

Mr ap Iorwerth will also say Wales’s constitutional future was not the “property of any one party” and that whether an independence referendum is held should not be dictated by Westminster.