Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Nationalist Parties Sign Joint Pact Demanding Self-Determination From UK

Key facts

• On September 14, 2026, the leaders of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru and Sinn Fein signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding in Cardiff asserting their nations' right to self-determination.
• The MoU stated that first ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all committed to independence from the United Kingdom and that the future of their nations belongs in the European Union.
• The SNP continues to push for another Scottish independence referendum despite Westminster's opposition.
• Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the Welsh Senedd elections in May 2026, with its leader Adam Price becoming first minister.
• Sinn Fein became the largest party in Northern Ireland's 2022 Assembly elections, and Michelle O'Neill became first minister in 2024 after a DUP walkout over post-Brexit trading arrangements.