Archive · 13 Sep 2026
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Seek Referendum Rights
Leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland plan to meet in Cardiff.
They want to discuss changing how the United Kingdom is governed.
They may sign a document saying their people should be allowed to vote on independence.
Mary Lou McDonald from Sinn Féin is also expected to attend.
The leaders are supported by parties that favor major constitutional change.
The meeting follows comments from Andy Burnham about a possible Scottish referendum if there is clear support.
Donald Trump has also said he would like to see Ireland and Northern Ireland become united.
The meeting could make the independence movement more coordinated.
Leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to meet in Cardiff on Monday.
The leaders reportedly plan to sign a joint memorandum asserting their citizens’ right to hold independence referendums.
John Swinney, Rhun ap Iorwerth and Michelle O’Neill are expected to attend, alongside Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald.
The meeting would unite the three devolved governments’ constitutional ambitions in a coordinated challenge to Westminster.
Donald Trump has said he views a united Ireland as a positive prospect, while Andy Burnham has referred to a possible Scottish referendum if there is clear consensus.
- Who
- John Swinney of Scotland, Rhun ap Iorwerth of Wales, Michelle O’Neill of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald are expected to attend.
- What
- The leaders are expected to discuss constitutional change and support a joint memorandum asserting the right to hold independence referendums.
- When
- The summit is expected to take place on Monday; the articles do not provide a specific date.
- Where
- At the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff, according to The Telegraph.
- Why
- The meeting is being organized amid a changed UK political climate and the leadership of pro-independence parties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Constitutional Change Advocates
United Kingdom Government Authority
Independence referendums
Constitutional Change Advocates
The participating leaders are expected to assert that their citizens should have the right to hold independence referendums.
United Kingdom Government Authority
Andy Burnham’s reported position is conditional: he would authorize a Scottish referendum only if there were a clear consensus.
Coordination among devolved governments
Constitutional Change Advocates
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are seeking to pursue their constitutional ambitions together through a joint memorandum.
United Kingdom Government Authority
The coordinated initiative is described as a challenge to Westminster’s authority over the United Kingdom.
The Union’s future
Constitutional Change Advocates
John Swinney said momentum for serious constitutional change was undeniable and suggested the United Kingdom could eventually break apart.
United Kingdom Government Authority
The article does not report a detailed response from the UK Government defending the Union.
- Meeting location
- St David’s Hotel, Cardiff
- Expected participants
- John Swinney, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald
- Proposed document
- A joint memorandum asserting citizens’ rights to hold independence referendums
- Scottish referendum position
- Andy Burnham reportedly said he would authorize one if there were a clear consensus
- Wales political development
- Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the Senedd after the May elections
- Northern Ireland leadership
- The government is led by Sinn Féin through Michelle O’Neill
- Donald Trump’s position
- Trump described a united Ireland as a positive prospect