The first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to meet in Cardiff on Monday to discuss closer cooperation between the devolved nations, including their approaches to constitutional issues and self-determination.
The meeting will be the first face-to-face gathering of the three nationalist leaders since Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth became Welsh first minister in May. Ap Iorwerth will host Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill on Monday morning, with Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald also attending.
Ap Iorwerth will later hold separate talks with Swinney, with the two expected to sign an agreement covering future cooperation in areas of shared interest.
It is the first time since devolution began that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have all been led by first ministers who support their nations becoming independent from the United Kingdom.
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said the meeting would allow the leaders to explore practical cooperation on issues affecting people across their nations, including energy, the economy and relations with Europe.
The party said the changing political landscape across the UK and Ireland also created an opportunity to discuss wider constitutional questions and the right of each nation to determine its own future.
Swinney said there was “undeniable” momentum for constitutional change and argued that all four nations across the UK and Ireland were facing an important moment.
He criticised the Westminster system, saying there was increasing agreement that it was no longer working effectively for ordinary people. Swinney also pointed to recent comments from Prime Minister Andy Burnham and election results in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as evidence of growing support for constitutional reform.
The discussions come shortly after Scottish independence returned to the centre of debate in the House of Commons.
During Prime Minister’s Questions last Wednesday, Burnham appeared to suggest that another Scottish independence referendum could potentially take place if there was clear public support for one.
He compared Scotland’s situation with the process for a border poll in Northern Ireland under the Good Friday Agreement. Burnham said the agreement provides for a vote to be considered when there is clear evidence that public opinion has changed sufficiently.
He then said Scotland was in a similar position. Swinney welcomed what appeared to be a change in tone, although Burnham later clarified that another Scottish independence referendum remained “off limits”.
Scotland last held an independence referendum in September 2014, when voters rejected independence by 55% to 45%.
In Wales, ap Iorwerth has also adopted a cautious approach to independence. After Plaid Cymru became part of the Welsh government following the May Senedd election, he ruled out holding an independence referendum during his party’s first term.
Instead, he has said he wants to lead a wider “national conversation” about Wales’ constitutional future. His administration plans to establish a national commission intended to lay the groundwork for possible future independence plans.
At the same time, Welsh ministers are seeking additional powers from Westminster, including greater responsibility for policing and youth justice. Burnham has said he is open to transferring further powers to Wales.
Northern Ireland’s political arrangements differ from those in Wales and Scotland. The first and deputy first ministers have equal powers and responsibilities, with Democratic Unionist Party politician Emma Little-Pengelly serving as deputy first minister alongside O’Neill.
Little-Pengelly has criticised O’Neill’s decision to participate in Monday’s meeting with the other nationalist leaders.
The devolved leaders are also expected to discuss how the nations are funded by the UK government. Wales has repeatedly called for changes to the Barnett funding formula, arguing that the current system disadvantages the country.
Scotland, however, is generally considered to benefit significantly from the existing funding arrangements. Burnham supported reform of the system before becoming prime minister but recently appeared to reduce expectations of major changes during a visit to Wales.
The three devolved leaders are due to meet Burnham next month as discussions over the future relationship between Westminster and the nations continue.
The UK government said Burnham remained committed to delivering change across all four nations while strongly supporting the union.
The political debate has drawn criticism from unionist parties. Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar accused ap Iorwerth of focusing too heavily on independence instead of addressing problems within the Welsh NHS and falling standards in schools.
Reform UK Wales also criticised Plaid Cymru’s meeting with Sinn Féin and the Scottish independence movement, accusing the party of revealing its separatist ambitions.
