By TheDailyNewsHub
The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are set to meet in Cardiff on Monday for an unprecedented summit at which they are expected to sign a joint declaration asserting their nations’ right to self-determination and demanding the right to hold independence referendums.
The meeting brings together Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill, creating an unusual alignment among the leaders of the three devolved administrations.
According to a report published ahead of the summit, the declaration is intended to increase pressure on the UK Government over the constitutional future of the three nations and could mark a significant new development in the debate over the future of the United Kingdom.
The development follows the historic political shifts in Scotland and Wales earlier this year, which brought the pro-independence Scottish National Party back to power in Scotland and Plaid Cymru to power in Wales. Northern Ireland is led by Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill, who has previously expressed support for Irish reunification.
O’Neill said after the elections that the three leaders represented a historic combination of “nationalist, pro-independence and pro-self-determination First Ministers” and said she looked forward to working with Swinney and ap Iorwerth to strengthen cooperation and build momentum towards constitutional change.
The Welsh First Minister has also stressed that Wales should be treated as a nation rather than simply as a region of England. In comments published on Sunday, ap Iorwerth said his objective was to strengthen Wales and that independence remained a possible future choice for the Welsh people.
For Scotland, the question of independence has remained a major political issue. The Scottish Government has published a detailed case for independence, while Swinney has repeatedly argued that Scots should have the opportunity to determine their country’s constitutional future.
The political situation has also put pressure on UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. His government remains opposed to Scottish independence, although Burnham has indicated that an independence referendum could potentially take place if public opinion in Scotland reaches the necessary level of support. The UK Government has nevertheless maintained that it stands for the continuation of the Union.
Northern Ireland’s constitutional position is different from that of Scotland and Wales. Under the Good Friday Agreement, there is an established mechanism for a border poll if it appears likely that a majority would vote for Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join a united Ireland.
The Cardiff declaration, therefore, would not by itself break up the United Kingdom or legally trigger independence votes. Instead, it would represent a political statement by the three devolved governments in favour of their peoples’ right to determine their constitutional futures.
The planned summit nevertheless comes at a sensitive moment for the UK, with questions over devolution, Scottish independence, Welsh self-government and Irish reunification increasingly moving to the centre of British politics.
If the declaration is signed as reported, it could become an important political marker in a growing campaign for greater constitutional autonomy across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
TheDailyNewsHub will update this story after the Cardiff summit and publication of the joint declaration.