The leaders of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will hold an unprecedented meeting in Cardiff this Monday with the aim of making a public declaration that marks the beginning of a shared path towards the independence of these nations within the United Kingdom.
The joint text calls for the recognition of the right to organize referendums on self-determination, in a context where the three regions are currently governed by openly independentist forces: Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland, the Scottish National Party in Scotland, and Plaid Cymru in Wales.
The meeting at the St. David's Hotel in Cardiff comes after the words of U.S. President Donald Trump, who on Saturday, from Dublin, expressed his support for the unification of the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland, giving new impetus to the debate on the constitutional future of the territory.
The political shift in Wales was consolidated in May, when the collapse of the Labour Party opened the door to the victory of the nationalist Plaid Cymru. For the first time, the heads of government of the three autonomous administrations share an independentist agenda.
Wales is led by First Minister Rhun ap Iowerth, a candidate from the Welsh nationalist party, which secured the majority in the Parliament or Senedd, thus consolidating the political cycle change in the country.
In Northern Ireland, and for the first time since the establishment of self-government derived from the Good Friday Agreements of 1998, the Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin became the most voted force in the 2022 elections. However, the exit of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from the Executive prevented the immediate formation of government, and it was not until 2024 that the nationalist leader Michelle O'Neill took office as First Minister. Polls indicate that Sinn Féin will prevail again in the upcoming elections.
O'Neill will be present in Cardiff accompanied by the president of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, who serves as the leader of the opposition in the Republic of Ireland, thus reinforcing the Irish dimension of the meeting.
According to sources cited by the newspaper "The Telegraph," the document in preparation is structured around four main blocks: economy, energy, Europe, and international cooperation and self-determination. The three actors agree that their countries should integrate into the EU, with Scotland and Wales requesting membership as new member states and Northern Ireland joining as part of a unified Ireland. After the meeting, the three leaders will appear together before the media.
Pressure on London and the future of the United Kingdom
In this context, the Scottish First Minister, John Swinney, has urged the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to "embrace the idea that he will go down in history as the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom."
"For the first time in history, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are governed by First Ministers in favor of independence. There is no clearer sign that the 'statu quo' is unsustainable and that Westminster must prepare for a post-United Kingdom future," Swinney has argued.
He thus advocates for an "inevitable constitutional change." "Andy Burnham must face the idea that he will go down in history as the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom," he stated.
"Tomorrow in Cardiff, I hope to discuss a better future with partners from the islands, and that can only be with a new beginning, with independence," he suggested, according to "The Telegraph."
Sources consulted by the same newspaper indicate that the common strategy aims to increase pressure on Burnham, after he indicated on Wednesday that another independence referendum in Scotland could be held if there is majority public support. In fact, he reminded Parliament that the conditions for a consultation are "exactly the same in Scotland" as for Northern Ireland.
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 states that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland of the British Government must call a reunification referendum when he considers that it "seems likely" that the outcome would be predominantly favorable to that option.