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For the first time since the UK gave Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland their own governments, all three have first ministers who want their countries to leave the United Kingdom. On Monday, they are meeting in Cardiff to discuss working together, including on the question of who should decide each nation’s future.
That does not mean three referendums are around the corner. Scotland’s John Swinney wants a route to another independence vote. Northern Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill supports a vote on Irish reunification. Wales’ Rhun ap Iorwerth backs independence but has ruled out seeking a referendum during his first term, saying he wants a national conversation first. In Northern Ireland, O’Neill also shares power with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, whose party supports remaining in the UK.
The leaders will discuss more immediate matters, including energy, the economy, and relations with Europe. Ap Iorwerth and Swinney are expected to hold separate talks on closer cooperation between Wales and Scotland.
The timing is awkward for Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Last week, he appeared to suggest that a Scottish referendum could be considered if public support became clear, before saying another vote remained off-limits. Swinney has since asked him to discuss a legal route to a referendum.
For British residents in Cyprus and Cypriots with family or homes in the UK, Monday’s meeting changes nothing about travel, passports, or day-to-day arrangements. Its significance is political: leaders who question the UK’s future now hold senior positions in all three nations and are beginning to compare what they can achieve together. How far they can go, and whether voters want to follow, remains unsettled.
*Source: BBC
