The First Ministers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, alongside Sinn Féin's president, met in Cardiff to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) demanding the right to self-determination and to pressure Downing Street into allowing independence referendums.
This historic meeting marks the first time in history that all three of the UK’s devolved nations are simultaneously led by nationalist, pro-independence first ministers. John Swinney (SNP, Scotland), Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru, Wales), Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin, Northern Ireland), and Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin President)—gathered to form a united front against London.
The memorandum states that "Westminster’s time is coming to an end" and asserts that no UK government has the right to block democracy or stop people from deciding their own constitutional futures. The leaders are using their collective leverage to pressure UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to grant legal pathways for independence referendums. Beyond independence, the parties agreed to build a progressive alliance to cooperate on mutual issues such as funding fairness, economic security, social justice, and green energy.
The summit has triggered intense political backlash and raised deep constitutional concerns across the UK, creating friction. For unionists and those who support the UK, the sight of three devolved leaders openly collaborating to dismantle the Union is highly destabilizing. Opponents like the Labour and Reform parties have accused the leaders of actively trying to "break up the UK". 10 Downing Street swiftly dismissed the summit, stating that the UK is at its best when problem-solving together rather than engaging in "divisive" constitutional debates.
The leaders met in their capacities as political party leaders rather than as official representatives of their state governments, because devolved administrations do not hold the legal power to alter the UK constitution. Critics argue that these First Ministers are using the prestige and visibility of their public offices to advance partisan, separatist agendas rather than focusing on pressing local issues, such as health care and the cost-of-living crisis.
On September 8, 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a comprehensive package of measures in Parliament, including a ban on the import of goods produced in West Bank settlements. The action was taken alongside a broad international coalition assembled by the UK, which included France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Portugal.
