UK breakup on the cards? Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland push for independence
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "UK breakup on the cards? Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland push for independence")
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on September 9, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders are set to meet in Cardiff to push for independence referendums and greater control over their constitutional futures.
The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are set to meet in Cardiff on Monday to discuss plans for greater constitutional autonomy and the possible breakup of the United Kingdom, according to The Telegraph.
Scotland First Minister John Swinney, Wales First Minister Rhun ap Iowerth and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill are expected to sign a joint declaration calling for the right to hold referendums on independence. The meeting would be significant as pro-independence parties now govern all three constituent nations for the first time.
According to The Telegraph, the summit is aimed at increasing pressure on UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he told Parliament that he would support another Scottish independence referendum if there was a “clear consensus” in favour of one.
The three leaders are expected to use the unprecedented Cardiff meeting to push for their nations to have a greater say in determining their constitutional futures. The gathering is also expected to focus on closer cooperation between the devolved governments.
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The meeting comes after major political changes across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In Wales, Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the Cardiff Senedd following May’s elections. Its leader, Rhun ap Iowerth, subsequently became First Minister.
In Scotland, the Scottish National Party remained the dominant political force despite losing six seats at Holyrood, while Reform and the Greens made gains.
Northern Ireland has been led by Sinn Féin since Michelle O’Neill became First Minister in 2024. Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party in the 2022 Stormont elections, although a walkout by the Democratic Unionist Party delayed the formation of the executive.
Sinn Féin is widely expected to remain in power when Northern Ireland holds its next election next year.
The Cardiff summit will also include Sinn Féin president and Irish opposition leader Mary Lou McDonald. The leaders are expected to discuss greater cooperation and a renewed push for constitutional autonomy at the meeting.
Trump’s Irish reunification remarks add to debate
The summit also comes amid renewed discussion over Northern Ireland’s constitutional future after US President Donald Trump commented on Irish reunification.
During a visit to Dublin on Saturday, Trump said he would “love” to see a united Ireland. He described Northern Ireland joining the Republic of Ireland as “a great thing” and asked, “How can it be bad?”
The comments have added another dimension to the political debate, as nationalist parties in the UK’s devolved nations push for greater control over their constitutional futures.
Burnham has made the devolution of power in England a central part of his political agenda. Swinney has meanwhile accused the UK prime minister of facing the prospect of becoming “the final prime minister of the United Kingdom”.
The Cardiff meeting is expected to further intensify the debate over the future of the United Kingdom and the powers of its constituent nations.
