Irish, Scottish, Welsh Leaders to Sign Self-Determination Pact in Cardiff
The three leaders also pledged closer cooperation on the economy, energy, Europe and international affairs as they press for future referendums.
- On Monday, September 14, 2026, Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill met in Cardiff and signed a memorandum of understanding calling on Westminster to prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change.
- Following May 2026 elections, nationalist-led administrations now govern Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for the first time, marking an unprecedented political shift that prompted this summit among the three leaders.
- The memorandum covers economy, energy, international cooperation, and self-determination, with the leaders committing to "strengthening cooperation between our parties and identifying practical areas where working together can make a real difference."
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham reiterated that independence referendums remain "off limits," while Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly accused O'Neill of attempting to "weaponise the role of First Minister" without executive authorization.
- While the leaders share ambitions for EU membership, they face diverging legal paths; Northern Ireland holds a statutory border poll mechanism under the Good Friday Agreement, whereas Scotland and Wales lack equivalent unilateral referenda pathways.
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They also call for independence referendums.
The leaders of the ruling parties in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales defended the right of their peoples to self-determination in Cardiff. In a memorandum of understanding they signed, they stated that the government in London had no right to obstruct democracy.
In a joint communiqué, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland's independent leaders claim their "right to self-determination".
Meeting in Cardiff at an unprecedented summit, the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland called with one voice for their right to self-determination and a return to the European Union....
The government leaders of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are meeting in Cardiff today to discuss independence and closer cooperation, including on constitutional matters. This is reported by British media, including the BBC.
The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland leaders, meeting in Cardiff on Monday, 14 September, claimed their "right to self-determination" in a joint declaration and affirmed that their nations' future was "in the European Union." Both Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland are currently led by independents, a situation that has been unprecedented since the establishment of autonomous institutions in these United Kingdom nations in 1999.
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