"The time of Westminster is coming to an end" - Is the United Kingdom heading for disintegration?

2026-09-14 17:19:30Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"The time of Westminster is coming to an end" - Is the United Kingdom
Leaders of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales want independence

The leaders of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales signed a joint memorandum on Monday declaring that "the time of Westminster is coming to an end" and the UK government must prepare for constitutional changes.

The agreement was reached in Cardiff on Monday between Scottish National Party (SNP) leader John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader in Wales Rhun ap Iorwerth and Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O'Neill. The meeting was also attended by Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald.

The leaders met in their capacity as leaders of their parties and not as official representatives of their respective governments.

The memorandum calls on authorities in London to "prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change," while the three political forces commit to closer cooperation in the economy, energy and international relations.

"The political landscape on these islands is changing," the agreement states.

According to the document, for the first time Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are led by prime ministers who support secession from the United Kingdom.

"For people watching us on these islands and around the world, there could be no clearer signal that Westminster's time is running out," the joint statement said.

The three political forces argue that there is an alternative to the current UK model, based on cooperation between nations as equals.

"We believe that constitutional change is coming," they declare.

The EU is part of the shared vision

Another important element of the agreement is the orientation towards the European Union.

The document sets out the aim of opposing what the parties describe as "Whitehall's failed economic model", exchanging policies on economic growth and expanding cooperation in the energy sector.

"The future of our nations lies in the European Union," the agreement states.

The leaders also insist that each of the nations has the right to self-determination and that the British central government should not have the right to obstruct democratic processes for determining their future.

"The Westminster government has no right to block democracy or undermine the principle that our people will decide their own future," the document states.

However, the parties acknowledge that their constitutional positions are not identical and that each country will follow its own path.

Scotland and Wales aim for independence as separate states, while Sinn Féin seeks the union of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

The Cardiff Pact now aims to create a coordinated political front facing London, urging the British government not to obstruct the referendums and to begin preparations for the possibility of major changes to the constitutional structure of the United Kingdom.


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