Leaders from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are collaborating to advance their demands for increased self-governance and the right to hold independence referendums, intensifying pressure on the constitutional framework of the United Kingdom. The three first ministers are scheduled to convene in Cardiff for a special summit, where they plan to endorse a joint declaration advocating for the legal right to conduct such referendums.

Notably, Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Sinn Féin—the principal opposition party in Ireland—will also attend the meeting. The gathering aims to unify their calls for enhanced self-determination and to formulate a coordinated strategy regarding the UK’s constitutional future.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney highlighted that this marks the first occasion where pro-independence leaders govern Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland simultaneously. He emphasized that this development signals the unsustainability of the current constitutional arrangement. Swinney further cautioned British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, suggesting that he might be remembered as the last prime minister of a united United Kingdom.

This initiative follows Burnham’s recent statement in Parliament, where he indicated that another Scottish independence referendum could be permitted if there is clear public backing within Scotland. The leaders are set to formalize their agreement on Monday, initiating what is seen as a pivotal step toward the potential dissolution of the UK.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump voiced his support for a united Ireland during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin. Trump expressed his desire to see Ireland unified, describing Northern Ireland’s integration into the Republic of Ireland as a positive development. He remarked, “It’s going to happen eventually … I think it would be a fantastic thing.”

Following elections in May, pro-independence parties now govern all three nations for the first time, intensifying discussions about the UK’s future. Under the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland is permitted to hold a referendum on joining the Republic of Ireland if there is evidence that a majority supports leaving the UK.