HUW Edwards has said Welsh independence is now "part of the mainstream political debate" and no longer a "joke" in a new documentary.
Speaking on his BBC show Wales: Who Do We Think We Are?, the newsreader highlighted how the number of people supporting the cause had rocketed since the Brexit vote.
While he said there was clearly no majority backing for Welsh self-determination, he did admit there was a stark difference in the number of people behind independence than when he started out in journalism.
Filming at the All Under One Banner Cymru march in Wrexham, he said on the show: “You know, it’s quite easy to get swept up. With all the applause and the enthusiasm, people get swept along with all of that.
“I think it’s fair to inject a note of caution though. Because as things stand, there is clearly no majority for independence in Wales.
“But support is growing. And what I can say after 35 years of reporting on these things is that when I started the notion of independence in Wales was a joke. Today, it’s very much part of the mainstream political debate, and that’s why this crowd is here today.”
Edwards – who was born in Bridgend – also questioned whether Wales is on the “long march towards independence” or whether that is a “load of piffle”, while he spoke of the energy around the debate.
“Since the Brexit vote, the number of people in Wales who identify as ‘strongly Welsh’ has risen sharply,” he said.
“The number of people who say they would back an independent Wales has risen sharply. It could be as high as 25 and 30%, so there’s a lot of energy in this debate.
“It’s got a long way to go. But I sense that the dynamic is growing.”
Edwards added: "The identification of Wales and Welshness has expanded beyond rugby, choirs, the Welsh language and castles. It now includes a political dimension, whether you support that model or not.”
