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Mention the word "referendum" to most people at Westminster and they tend to think of the one on voting reform due next May.

Labour leader, Ed Miliband, has his support for change to the alternative vote in that poll. Today, he wrote to party members in Wales about another referendum - the one on the Welsh assembly's powers to be held next March.

He also invited in a few Welsh hacks, myself included, to explain why he'll be campaigning for a "yes" vote in that referendum too. If the "yes" campaign win, it would kill off LCOs (legislative competence orders) and allow the assembly to make laws in devolved areas without having to ask permission from Westminster each time.

So why, I asked Mr Miliband, change a Labour-established system?

"I think it's part of the process of devolution. I think that devolution has been a success, the Welsh Assembly Government under Labour has been a success and now I think it's right to take the next step - and the next step is about Wales not having to come to London when it wants to make changes within the devolved policy areas, being able to make the changes itself. It's a better system, it's a fairer system and I think it's a system that respects Wales."

In his e-mail, he says devolution has strengthened the Union. I pointed out that there are nationalists in power in both Cardiff and Edinburgh - and the economic gap between Wales and the rest of the UK has grown under devolution.

"We have a very strong Labour-led Government in Wales and I think Carwyn Jones is an excellent First Minister, following Rhodri Morgan, and I think that the doubters have been proved wrong because the doubters said it would be better to have the old system, better to have Wales run from London even in devolved policy areas.

"And I actually think we have learnt from Wales, some of the work that's been done on the foundation stage of nursery education, for example, some of the other changes that have been brought in. And I think Wales is showing its own way forward on tuition fees at the moment, saying differently from the Conservative led government in London that actually we don't think the next generation should be burdened in the way that Westminster is arguing. So I think the Welsh Assembly Government, devolution has been a success now's the time to build on it."

Given his backing for the Yes for Wales campaign, I asked for his view on the Twitter spat over campaign tactics between Education Minister Leighton Andrews and Liberal Democrat Peter Black.

"I think Leighton Andrews was wronged-against actually in relation to this exchange as I understand it. Look, you know I think Twitter takes care of itself it's always a dangerous medium.

"The main thing is that we are fighting a positive campaign about how Wales can benefit from approving this referendum in March. I think it's the right thing to do for Wales and then it's on to the Welsh Assembly Government elections which are very important elections in Wales, about who is the next First Minister of Wales, obviously very much hope Carwyn Jones is re-elected."

Ed Miliband believes his party is "pretty united" on the issue, something Tony Blair could not say during the last devolution referendum in 1997. The difference this time, is that the Conservatives in Wales (at least in the assembly) are supporting a "yes" vote, even if David Cameron has said he'll be staying out of the campaign.

Ed Miliband expects to campaign during the referendum, both as part of the official Labour campaign and the cross-party campaign.

Opponents of a "yes" vote, "True Wales" gave this response to Mr Miliband's comments:

"True Wales knows many members and supporters of the Labour Party who are dissatisfied with this approach of the Labour Party to more devolution. In their opinon there is no need to go any further with the present system of devolution, which has been imposed on us without the blessing of the electorate in a referendum.

"Mr Miliband has failed completely to understand the dangers of devolution. He has also betrayed the principle of legislation which gives a common law and common services to the people of England and Wales - a principle which has been a foundation of socialism and has contributed so much to raising living standards. Wales and England face the same issues and problems. Therefore, the legislation should be the same."

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