A YOUNG Trawsfynydd farmer brought his seven-day hunger strike to an end outside the Senedd on Tuesday with an appeal for politicians to give “serious consideration to the devolution of broadcasting powers to Wales.”

Elfed Wyn Jones, who studies in Aberystwyth University, had not eaten since Tuesday, 20 February as part of a campaign to transfer powers over broadcasting from Westminster to Wales.

The end of the fast comes a day before a debate in the Assembly chamber on the issue, and 20-year-old Elfed said he hopes to present a letter to the Government Minister responsible for broadcasting.

Speaking at the end of his seven-day stint without food, Elfed said: “It’s not been easy.

But I accept my responsibility as a citizen of Wales, as someone who’s realised the importance of this to our democracy and our language.

“It’s kept me going.

“I’m thankful to everyone who’s sent messages of support, they’ve given me strength.

“I genuinely think that this is a crucial question for our democracy in Wales.

“If people don’t get the right facts about who is making decisions in their name, if they don’t understand how they’re governed, our young Welsh democracy is in serious danger.

“At the moment, fewer than half the population realises that the Senedd in Cardiff runs health, despite 20 years of devolution.

“Decisions about broadcasting in Wales have to be made in Wales if our politicians are to be held properly accountable for their actions.”

Welsh language campaigners Cymdeithas yr Iaith claims that a majority of Assembly Members support devolving some broadcasting powers to Wales, and Cymdeithas chair Heledd Gwyndaf said Elfed’s action has “inspired a lot of people and kickstarted a wider national debate.”

“A number of Assembly Members have shown support over the years and it’s time they now did something,” she said.

“As representatives of the people and as leaders of our country, they should take responsibility, pull their socks up and follow in Elfed’s brave footsteps and all those others who are prepared to break the law for this cause.”

An independent review of S4C is expected to be published soon.

It is due to consider, among other issues, whether the responsibility for S4C should be devolved from Westminster to the Assembly.

In 2013, the Silk Commission – a cross party review commissioned by the UK Government – concluded that control over the government’s financial contribution to S4C should be transferred from Westminster to the Welsh Government.

More than 50 people are currently refusing to pay their TV licenses as part of the campaign, Cymdeithas said.