The leaders of Plaid Cymru, the SNP and Sinn Féin will meet in Cardiff on Monday to strengthen the co-operation of Wales, Scotland and Ireland and build towards constitutional change.
Leader of Plaid Cymru Rhun ap Iorwerth, Leader of the Scottish National Party John Swinney, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn Féin Vice-President and First Minister for the North of Ireland Michelle O’Neill will come together to look at how the parties can work constructively with one another in the shared interests of the people they represent.
Discussions will focus on identifying practical areas of partnership around the economy, energy and European and international co-operation.
The leaders will call on the British government to prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change in Wales, Scotland and the north of Ireland.
Speaking ahead of the round-table discussion, Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “I’m pleased to welcome the leaders of the SNP and Sinn Féin to Wales at was is an important moment in our politics.
“May’s election was a turning point for Wales. We now have a Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government with a clear mandate to do things differently. Across these islands, we are seeing a new political landscape emerge, with a growing recognition that the Westminster model is no longer working.
“Our parties have much to gain from working together, as partners and as equals, where we share common interests and where cooperation can improve the lives of the people we represent.
“That is the spirit in which we are coming together. I look forward to strengthening the relationships between our parties and taking another step towards a new partnership between our nations.
John Swinney said: “I welcome the opportunity to meet with colleagues in Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin today in Cardiff. We are at a pivotal moment of constitutional change, and our parties share the common belief that our interests will never be served by Westminster, and that the people of our respective nations must have a meaningful say over their future.
“This discussion comes the week after the Prime Minister accepted that a referendum should take place when there is majority support for independence in Scotland. That acknowledgment that the people of Scotland can and should determine their own constitutional future is long overdue.
“Today, our parties will come together and commit to working in partnership on areas such as social justice, energy, and the right to national self-determination.”
Mary Lou McDonald said: “Ireland, Scotland and Wales have different histories and different constitutional circumstances. Those differences must be respected.
“But there is an important democratic principle that we share – nations must have the right to shape their own future.
“In Ireland, the position is clear. The Good Friday Agreement provides a peaceful and democratic pathway to reunification and guarantees the right of the people of this island to determine our constitutional future.
“No British Prime Minister can take Irish unity off the table. Ireland’s future will be decided by the people of Ireland.
“The debate on unity is already underway. A referendum on Irish unity is not something to fear. It is something to prepare for.
“That means doing the serious work now on our economy, public services, rights and institutions, and ensuring that people from every community and tradition have a real voice in shaping the future.
“Irish unity is no longer a distant aspiration. It is a serious contemporary political project, and the work of preparing for the new Ireland must happen now.”
Michelle O’Neill said: “Partition has failed the island of Ireland and the best interests of our people have never been served by those in Westminster.
“However, change is happening right across these islands and we must be ready for constitutional change when it comes.
“The election of three Nationalist First Ministers for the first time on these islands is a clear indication that people see that Westminster is not working for the people of the North, Scotland or Wales.
“Strengthening the relationships between the three parties and finding common ground will help us grow and create better opportunities for the workers, families and communities we represent.
“And ultimately, this will lead us towards independence and free from the shackles of Westminster.”
