13 September 2026 , 16:59
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The first ministers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are set to meet in Cardiff on Monday to discuss the possibility of leaving the United Kingdom through constitutional change and cooperation between the three UK nations, according to The Telegraph.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, Wales’ First Minister Rhun ap Iowerth, and Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding calling for greater cooperation on economic, energy, European and constitutional issues.
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald is also due to attend the summit in Cardiff.
The agreement is expected to state that Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have the right to determine their own constitutional futures through democratic means.
The meeting comes amid renewed debate over Scottish independence and Irish reunification.
US President Donald Trump said he would "love" to see a united Ireland and suggested that unification "may as well happen now" during a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin on Saturday.
"I don’t want to cause any problems, but I will tell you, I’d love to see it unified," Trump said.
"I think it would be a great feather in everybody’s cap if that happened. You know what? The way I look at it, it’s going to happen eventually. It may as well happen now."
Under the Good Friday Agreement, a referendum on Northern Ireland’s constitutional status can be called if it appears likely that a majority would vote for the territory to leave the UK and become part of a united Ireland.
Swinney said Sunday that Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland being led by pro-independence parties represented a significant development in the debate over the future of the UK.
“For the first time ever, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are led by pro-independence first ministers,” Swinney said, arguing that the development demonstrated growing support for constitutional change.
The Scottish leader said he expected discussions in Cardiff to focus on cooperation between the nations and their respective approaches to independence.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that another Scottish independence referendum could take place if there were a "clear consensus" in Scotland in favor of holding one.
However, Burnham later wrote to Swinney to reiterate the government’s position that another independence referendum would not be supported before the next general election.
He added that there was currently no consensus for another independence referendum in Scotland and no clear evidence that a majority in Northern Ireland wanted to leave the UK.
World Affairs Correspondent