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The pro-independence leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have scheduled a Cardiff summit for Sept. 14 to discuss cooperation on four policy areas, including self-determination.<\/p>\n
\n Summary<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Telegraph reported<\/a> on Sept. 13 that Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill would sign a joint declaration or memorandum of understanding.<\/p>\n Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s president and leader of the opposition in Ireland\u2019s D\u00e1il, is expected to join the meeting at St David\u2019s Hotel in Cardiff Bay. A press conference is planned after the talks.<\/p>\n The reported agreement covers the economy, energy, relations with Europe and national self-determination. Its full text had not been published by the devolved governments or the participating parties as of Sept. 13.<\/p>\n Ap Iorwerth has rejected the claim that the gathering is designed to dismantle the U.K. Speaking to The Guardian before the summit, he said he did not approach cooperation with other nationalist parties as an effort \u201cto break up the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to build up my nation,\u201d the Plaid Cymru leader said. He described Welsh independence as the eventual destination of a constitutional process, while stressing that the choice remained with voters and had no fixed timetable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The planned memorandum is expected to commit the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn F\u00e9in to cooperation where their policies overlap. Each party supports a different constitutional outcome because the legal and political position of every nation varies.<\/p>\n On economic policy, participants are expected to argue that the current U.K. model has not served people in the three devolved nations. The Telegraph reported that the parties would discuss tax and spending authority, energy resources and changes to the distribution of public money.<\/p>\n Plaid Cymru wants the U.K. government to transfer more fiscal powers to Wales. Its requests include revenue from the Crown Estate\u2019s Welsh assets, including seabed leases used by offshore wind projects.<\/p>\n The party wants policing and justice devolved to Cardiff. Ap Iorwerth noted that, during his time as mayor of Greater Manchester, Prime Minister Andy Burnham exercised more influence over policing than the Welsh first minister currently holds.<\/p>\n A Plaid source described cooperation on energy, the economy and Europe as practical work among parties sharing several interests. The source said the parties could operate \u201cas partners and as equals\u201d without presenting every policy question as part of an immediate independence campaign.<\/p>\n Scotland\u2019s constitutional route remains controlled by Westminster unless the legal framework changes. In its 2022 judgment<\/a>, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament could not legislate unilaterally for an independence referendum because the proposed vote related to reserved matters.<\/p>\n The 2014 Scottish referendum proceeded after the U.K. and Scottish governments agreed temporarily to transfer the required authority through a Section 30 order. No equivalent authorization has been granted for another vote.<\/p>\n Burnham has said he would consider a further Scottish referendum if a \u201cclear consensus\u201d supported one. His government has not defined the polling, electoral or parliamentary conditions that would establish such a consensus.<\/p>\n In a letter to Swinney, the prime minister maintained that another Scottish vote was \u201coff limits\u201d before the next general election. Burnham cited Labour\u2019s 2024 manifesto, which opposed Scottish independence and another referendum.<\/p>\n Northern Ireland has a separate legal pathway under the 1998 Belfast Agreement and the Northern Ireland Act. The legislation<\/a> requires the Northern Ireland secretary to call a border poll if it appears likely that a majority would vote to leave the U.K. and join a united Ireland.<\/p>\n No published government decision has determined that the statutory test has been met. Sinn F\u00e9in maintains that preparation for a poll should begin now, while the U.K. government says there is no clear basis to conclude that most Northern Irish voters currently support reunification.<\/p>\n Wales has no comparable statutory mechanism for an independence referendum. Any binding process would require agreement with Westminster or new legislation establishing the authority and terms for a vote.<\/p>\n Ap Iorwerth became first minister after Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the May 2026 Senedd election. The result ended Labour\u2019s record of being the largest party at every Welsh parliamentary election since devolution began.<\/p>\n Plaid holds 43 seats in the expanded 96-member Senedd. Reform UK became the main opposition with 34 seats, placing constitutional questions alongside disputes over public spending, policing and economic policy.<\/p>\n In Scotland, the SNP retained power during the 2026 Holyrood election despite losing six seats. Swinney has since promoted cooperation among the three nationalist-led administrations.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time ever, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are led by pro-independence first ministers,\u201d Swinney said before the Cardiff meeting. His claim that the arrangement proves the existing settlement is \u201cnot sustainable\u201d represents the SNP\u2019s political position, not an agreed constitutional finding.<\/p>\n Northern Ireland\u2019s power-sharing system places O\u2019Neill in a joint leadership structure with the deputy first minister. Decisions requiring Northern Ireland Executive authority cannot generally be made by the first minister acting alone. The Telegraph\u2019s account refers to cooperation among the participating parties, but the unpublished agreement will determine whether any commitments are governmental or political.<\/p>\n The Cardiff meeting comes as Reform has expanded its financial resources across Britain. In related coverage, crypto.news reported that two crypto billionaires gave Reform UK \u00a372 million<\/a> through matching contributions announced within 24 hours.<\/p>\n Christopher Harborne, an investor in Tether and Bitfinex, and BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo each donated \u00a336 million. Neither contribution was confirmed as a cryptocurrency payment. Reform said both donations complied with existing law.<\/p>\n The U.K. government is separately pursuing a prohibition on political donations made with cryptocurrency and a \u00a3100,000 annual limit for qualifying overseas electors. The proposed restrictions would not apply merely because a donor earned money in the crypto industry.<\/p>\n\n\n
Cardiff summit will focus on four shared areas<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Independence votes follow different legal routes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Welsh leader rejects immediate breakup framing<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Reform\u2019s funding raises a separate political issue<\/strong><\/h2>\n