Ron Davies stood down from assembly in May's elections

The former MP and AM for Caerphilly said some within Labour's ranks used "terms of abuse" towards Welsh speakers and the language and some views were "frankly unacceptable".

He also claimed the assembly was turning people away because of a lack of imagination on the part of both the institution and Labour's government.

But a Labour Party spokesman has flatly denied Mr Davies' accusation that the party was hostile to the Welsh language.

Mr Davies is expected to deliver the National Library of Wales' Welsh Political Archive annual Speech at the Old College in Aberystwyth, on Friday night.

You hear views within the Labour party that are frankly unacceptable - terms of abuse about people who speak Welsh, about the language Ron Davies

He made his comments on BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye programme.

He said of the assembly: "Instead of the big issues, people are focusing on the relatively unimportant issues and as a result, people are turning away in their droves from the assembly."

On the Welsh language, he argued: "Consensus is starting to break up and you hear views within the Labour party that are frankly unacceptable - terms of abuse about people who speak Welsh, about the language."

He said this included "very senior" figures within the party.

Mr Davies believes this is one of the symptoms of the end of the inclusive style of politics which he advocated at the birth of devolution.

He said a feeling of alienation towards the Labour party helped him make the decision to resign.

On the question of further constitutional change, Mr Davies said he thought the assembly could yet be given more powers in future.

People will find ways of organising, of pressurising, of making sure that change continues Ron Davies

However, he suggested the pressure for that may have to come from outside the political parties.

Debate

According to him, Labour leaders were rejecting further change and Plaid Cymru were shackled by their new stance on 'independence'.

"People will find ways of organising, of pressurising, of making sure that change continues," he said.

Mr Davies is expected to use his speech to kick-start that debate.

Dr John Graham Jones, head of the archive, said he was looking forward to hearing the former Caerphilly AM speak.

"The Welsh Political Archive's annual lecture has received some of Wales's most influential politicians and political historians over the years and none more so than this year's speaker, Ron Davies.