Parties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland unite to promote independence referendums

The Scottish National Party (SNP), Welsh Plaid Cymru and Irish Sinn Féin have signed a joint memorandum calling on the UK government to prepare for possible constitutional changes and not to obstruct referendums on the future of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The document was signed in Cardiff on Monday, September 14, by SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader and First Minister of Wales Rhun ap Iorwerth, Sinn Féin vice president and First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill, and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald.

However, the participants met precisely as leaders of political parties, not as representatives of their respective governments. Therefore, the memorandum is not an intergovernmental agreement and does not itself initiate the process of any part of the country leaving the United Kingdom.

In the document, the parties stated that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the right to self-determination, and that the government in London should not block the opportunity for citizens to determine their own constitutional future.

The parties called on the British government to "prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change" in each of the three jurisdictions. At the same time, they acknowledged that their goals differ and each nation will determine its own future separately.

For the SNP, the key goal remains Scottish independence, Plaid Cymru stands for an independent Wales, while Sinn Féin seeks the re-unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

John Swinney stated that the Scottish people must have the opportunity to have their say again on remaining part of the United Kingdom. According to him, London has obstructed the holding of a new referendum in recent years, despite significant support for independence among voters.

Beyond constitutional issues, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin agreed to strengthen cooperation in economic and energy policy, as well as in international affairs. In the memorandum, the parties also declared that they see the future of their nations in the European Union.

The British government rejected the calls for new referendums. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that he supports the preservation of the United Kingdom and intends to focus on economic security and the cost of living rather than new constitutional debates.

The signing of the memorandum took place against the backdrop of an unusual political situation: after the 2026 elections, the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are for the first time simultaneously led by politicians whose parties advocate their nations leaving the United Kingdom or, in Sinn Féin's case, the reunification of Ireland. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland the executive is power-sharing, and O'Neill leads it together with the deputy First Minister from the unionist DUP.

Based on materials from: LBC