WALES must vote Labour out of office this year to set a path for independence, Yes Cymru says.

There's been a Labour First Minister in Cardiff ever since the Senedd's creation in 1999.

Sion Jobbins, the chairman of Yes Cymru, says devolution is a "cul-de-sac" and Wales needs new political leadership.

Yes Cymru's membership now tops 17,000 after a massive uptick in 2020.

According to its polling, around one third of Welsh voters with an opinion would back independence at the ballot box.

Jobbins spoke out as it emerged that three Welsh Tory candidates standing at the upcoming Senedd election want to abolish the parliament altogether.

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Documents seen by the BBC show prospective South Wales Central regional list candidates — councillors Joel James, Calum Davies and Chris Thorne — set out their anti-devolution position in applications sent to party members.

Plaid Cymru has promised an independence referendum if it wins a majority in the Senedd this year.

Jobbins told the BBC that Yes Cymru will not tell its members who to vote for, but the country needs a government which "has a path to independence".

As well as Plaid, the Green Party and Gwlad Gwlad have pro-independence policies.

While Jobbins acknowledged the "tension" over Yes Cymru members who are also Labour Party members, he said: "If there's no change in Cardiff Bay, there is no independence and this is a message also to Yes Cymru supporters.

He went on: "There needs to be a party there which supports independence and either forces another partner to have a clear pathway to trigger independence or it's not going to happen and our supporters need to understand that."