The first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have declared that Westminster’s time is coming to an end, signing a joint agreement calling on the UK government to prepare for constitutional change across the four nations.
The nationalist leaders from Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin and the SNP — who all want their countries to leave the United Kingdom — met in Cardiff Bay on Monday and signed a memorandum of understanding stating that no Westminster government has the right to block democracy. The gathering marks the first time since devolution began that all three nations have first ministers who favour departure from the union.
A historic summit
Scotland’s John Swinney and Northern Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill both called for referendums on independence during a joint press conference, while Wales’ Rhun ap Iorwerth declined to set a timetable for a vote in his country. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald also attended the meeting, describing it as historic.
The memorandum said that for people watching across these islands and around the world, there could be no clearer sign that Westminster’s time is coming to an end. It added that no Westminster government has the right to block democracy or undermine the principle that the people of each nation will decide their own future.
The document also acknowledged that the parties hold different constitutional positions and that each nation would determine its own future in its own way and in its own time.
Ap Iorwerth, who was appointed the first non-Labour first minister of Wales after May’s Senedd election, has previously ruled out pushing for a referendum on Welsh independence during his party’s first term in government. His government intends instead to set up a national commission to lay the foundations for future plans for Welsh independence.
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The Wales position
Speaking at the press conference, Ap Iorwerth said there was a growing recognition that Westminster is not working and that power genuinely needs to be brought closer to people and communities. He said Wales should have the power, the resources and the fair treatment needed as a nation to build the future its people deserve.
When asked by BBC Wales what the memorandum meant for Wales and whether it meant asking Westminster not to block a Welsh independence referendum, Ap Iorwerth said it was up to the people of Wales to decide their own future. He added that the timescale would be set by the people of Wales when they are persuaded, and that his job was to persuade.
The Welsh government does not currently have the power to hold such a referendum, but Ap Iorwerth told the press conference he wanted to see that power devolved.
In the meantime, Welsh ministers are seeking extra powers to be transferred to Wales, including over policing and youth justice — areas that Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to considering.
The Scottish and Northern Irish positions
SNP leader Swinney described Monday as a pivotal moment in the constitutional journey of the United Kingdom. He said the elections last May for each nation had created a situation in which first ministers believed their countries should decide their own future, calling the principle of self-determination an inalienable right.
Sinn Féin’s McDonald said the parties had the right to a referendum and the right to decide their future, and that they would not accept any prime minister telling them that right was off the table. Northern Ireland’s first minister O’Neill said all three nations were distinctively different and had their own priorities, but that the common cause was that Westminster did not and would never serve their people well.
In Northern Ireland, the first and deputy first minister hold identical powers and responsibilities, and the Democratic Unionist Party’s Emma Little-Pengelly serves as deputy first minister. Little-Pengelly criticised O’Neill for attending Monday’s talks.
The UK government response
The UK government said the prime minister is committed to delivering change across all four nations of the United Kingdom and believes strongly in the union. The talks are expected to cover the way the devolved nations are funded by the UK government.
Welsh ministers have long called for the Barnett funding formula to be reformed, claiming it disadvantages Wales, though it is argued that Scotland does well from the formula. Before becoming prime minister, Burnham made the case for change but on a recent visit to Wales played down the prospect of reform.
Burnham is expected to meet the devolved leaders next month. During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, he appeared to indicate a second referendum could be held in Scotland if there was clear public support for a vote, comparing the situation to the conditions for a border poll in Northern Ireland under the Good Friday Agreement. He later clarified that another Scottish referendum remained off limits.
Reaction
Labour leader in Wales Ken Skates said Plaid had given people nothing since the election and wanted to use power to break up Britain, weaken Wales and spend their time obsessing over more powers for their politicians. Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar said the first minister should be focused on dealing with the crisis engulfing the Welsh NHS and declining standards in Welsh schools. Dan Thomas, Reform UK’s Welsh leader, said the first minister could not get a grip on NHS waiting lists or the education system but apparently had time to tell people what they all knew — that he wanted to break up the UK.
Why it matters
Monday’s gathering represents the most significant convergence of nationalist leadership in the devolved nations since devolution began. With all three first ministers now favouring some form of departure from the union, the constitutional pressure on Westminster has shifted substantively. The memorandum of understanding is not legally binding, but it signals a coordinated political challenge to the current UK structure that the government will need to address. The Barnett formula, which determines how the devolved nations are funded, is likely to be a central point of contention in the coming talks.
What happens next
The devolved leaders are expected to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham next month, where constitutional change, funding arrangements and additional powers are likely to dominate the agenda. Ap Iorwerth will hold further talks with Swinney in their roles as government leaders, with both men expected to sign an agreement on future collaboration in areas of shared interest. In Wales, the national commission on independence is due to lay the foundations for future plans, though no referendum is expected before the next Senedd election in 2030.
Source: BBC News
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