Nationalist Leaders of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland Sign Cooperation Agreement
12 sources across 11 countries
Who reported this
- elDiarioAR
- La Nacion
- CNN Brasil
- Le Monde
- Telex
- The Times of Israel
- ANSA
- Dawn
- El Pais
- Neue Zuercher Zeitung
- The Guardian
- Bloomberg
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
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The first ministers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland met in Cardiff on Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding asserting their nations' right to self determination. For the first time since the establishment of autonomous institutions in 1999, all three territories are led by parties that seek independence from the United Kingdom. The leaders, including Scotland's John Swinney, Wales' Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Northern Ireland's Michelle O'Neill, stated that the era of Westminster is coming to an end and called on the British government to facilitate constitutional changes. The joint declaration further emphasized that the future of their nations lies within the European Union, citing the negative economic impact of Brexit.
While the leaders are united by the principle of self determination, they maintain different timelines and goals. The Scottish National Party seeks a second independence referendum within five years, and Sinn Fein expects a poll on Irish reunification by 2030. In contrast, Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru has not set a date for a Welsh referendum, focusing instead on decentralization and bringing power closer to communities. The meeting occurred shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump commented during a visit to Ireland that a united Ireland would be a cool thing and that it may as well happen now.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has responded by reaffirming his commitment to the union. While some reports indicate Burnham previously suggested that referendums could be considered if there were a clear consensus, his government has since clarified that such votes remain off limits. Unionist representatives in Northern Ireland have criticized the meeting, arguing that Michelle O'Neill lacked the authority to represent the government in such a capacity due to the power sharing agreement. Current polling shows varying levels of support for independence, with approximately 47 percent in Scotland, 36 percent in Northern Ireland, and 32 percent in Wales.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the negative impact of Brexit and the momentum behind the independence movements.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the procedural facts of the agreement and the official statements regarding self determination.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the lack of a clear majority for separation in the polls and the challenges to the legality of the movements.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Ulster invoke right to 'self-determination'
- Centre Bloomberg: UK’s Regional Leaders to Unite on Efforts to Rejoin EU
- Centre CNN Brasil: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ask for autonomy from the United Kingdom
- Centre-left Dawn: Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish party leaders claim right to choose independence
- Centre-left El Pais: Nationalists from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland unite to push for their independence from the United Kingdom
- Centre-right La Nacion: Challenge in the United Kingdom: the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland claim their "right to self-determination"
- Centre-left Le Monde: United Kingdom: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish leaders assert their "right to self-determination"
- Centre-right Neue Zuercher Zeitung: A united Ireland would be a "cool thing", Trump finds, and gives the separatists in the United Kingdom tailwind
- Centre Telex: “Westminster's time will soon run out”, leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland issued a statement on the self-determination of their countries
- Centre-left The Guardian: Westminster’s time is coming to an end, say first ministers of UK’s Celtic nations
- Centre The Times of Israel: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish parties sign agreement asserting right to leave UK
- Centre-left elDiarioAR: The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland agree to fight together to become independent from the United Kingdom
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.