Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish leaders unite in call for constitutional change
The British government has rejected the prospect of an imminent change to Scotland's constitutional status. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said another Scottish independence referendum is "off limits", arguing that the government should instead focus on economic growth and the cost of living
The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have signed a memorandum of understanding calling for constitutional change, declaring that "Westminster's time is coming to an end" and saying their nations' futures should be linked more closely to the European Union.
The agreement, signed in Cardiff by Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Welsh leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, marks the first time the three devolved governments have simultaneously been led by politicians from parties committed to independence or Irish reunification. The leaders were acting in their capacity as party leaders rather than as officials representing their governments, says ABC News.
Swinney and O'Neill called for referendums on Scottish independence and Irish reunification respectively. Ap Iorwerth joined the agreement but did not set out a timetable for a Welsh independence referendum.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The memorandum calls on the British government to prepare for and facilitate constitutional change, while also setting out plans for cooperation on areas including the economy, energy and international relations.
The agreement has highlighted political divisions within the devolved administrations. In Northern Ireland, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the Democratic Unionist Party accused O'Neill of "weaponising" her position. O'Neill said the agreement reflected "historic change happening all around us".
The British government has rejected the prospect of an imminent change to Scotland's constitutional status. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said another Scottish independence referendum is "off limits", arguing that the government should instead focus on economic growth and the cost of living.
Constitutional hurdles
The three nations face different legal and political routes to any change in their constitutional status.
Scotland held an independence referendum in 2014, when voters rejected independence by 55% to 45%. The issue has remained prominent following Britain's departure from the European Union.
Northern Ireland has a specific mechanism for a border poll under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. A poll can be called when the UK government's Northern Ireland secretary considers it likely that a majority would vote for Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland.
The legal position in Wales is different, with no equivalent statutory mechanism for an independence referendum.
Political experts have described the new agreement as symbolically significant but not an immediate change to the constitutional position. Nicola McEwen, director of the University of Glasgow Centre for Public Policy, said continued cooperation between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could give the three regions greater collective influence in dealings with Westminster and keep questions of regional consent on the political agenda.
The leaders' meeting also comes amid renewed international attention on Irish reunification. US President Donald Trump said during a visit to Ireland that he would "love to see" a reunified Ireland.
The agreement therefore brings together three different constitutional debates under a common political message, while leaving the legal procedures for any eventual change largely unchanged.
