John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Rhun ap Iorwerth, First Minister of Wales and Leader of Plaid Cymru, Michelle O’Neill, First Minister of Northern Ireland and Vice President of Sinn Féin, and Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin, have signed a memorandum of understanding committing their parties to closer cooperation on constitutional change, economic development, energy policy and international relations.
The agreement states that Scotland, Wales and Ireland have the right to determine their own futures through democratic means and calls on the British Government to “prepare for, plan and facilitate constitutional change in each jurisdiction”.
Speaking at the joint press conference on Monday (14 Sep), Rhun ap Iorwerth said there was “a growing recognition that Westminster is not working”, while John Swinney described the agreement as “a pivotal moment in the constitutional journey of the United Kingdom”.
Mary Lou McDonald called the signing “historic”, saying it represented a collective assertion of the “inalienable right to decide our futures”. Michelle O’Neill said the leaders were living through “times of enormous change” and that self-determination remained “very much on the table”.
The memorandum comes amid renewed international attention on constitutional debates, following comments by US President Donald Trump supporting Irish reunification during recent remarks in Ireland.
ℹ️ The National, Herald Scotland
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