Swinney went as far as suggesting that Burnham is ‘facing up
to the idea that he will go down in history as the final prime minister of the
United Kingdom’ (Picture: Getty)
The First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
will sign a landmark agreement on Monday to pressure Downing Street to hold
referendums on independence.
SNP leader John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth
and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill will meet in Cardiff on Monday.
Swinney went as far as suggesting that Burnham is ‘facing up
to the idea that he will go down in history as the final prime minister of the
United Kingdom’.
The three are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding
pushing for referendums in their respective countries. The meeting is as party
leaders – not as officials of their respective governments.
Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister Emma
Little-Pengelly of the DUP has already said Ms O’Neill has ‘not sought any
agreement or permission from me to travel, attend or sign anything as First
Minister’.
UK governments have been consistently against the holding of
referendums on separation since the 2014 vote in Scotland.
Swinney will meet with Iorwerth and O’Neill(Picture: PA)
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the Commons another vote
in Scotland could be held if there was a ‘clear consensus’ north of the border
for it, but a letter sent to Mr Swinney later clarified a referendum remained
‘off limits’.
The issue of a border poll in Ireland has been thrust into the spotlight following weekend comments from Donald Trump in support of Irish unity.
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A Sinn Féin source told the Press Association the Cardiff
summit will be about ‘where the parties can work together to make
a difference to people’s lives; and how each of our nations has the right to
shape its own future through democratic means, guided by the will of its
people’.
The source added: ‘In Ireland, the constitutional future
belongs to the people of this island. The Good Friday Agreement gives us the
democratic means to decide it, and now is the time to prepare seriously for
that choice. Irish unity is not a distant aspiration. The work of building the
new Ireland must begin now.’
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura
Kuenssberg, Welsh First Minister Mr ap Iorweth said: ‘We’re talking about
how we can work together, let’s talk about what we have in common and what we
don’t.’
UK governments have been against the holding of referendums
on separation since 2014 (Credits: Leon Neal/PA Wire)
He added: ‘There’s also something that ties us together,
isn’t there? That pursuit of a different attitude from the UK Government.
‘It could be around the constitutional question; it could,
more acutely, be around fair funding, making sure resources are shared in a way
that is equitable, that feels fair, that we have the powers to build the future
for the people that we represent.’
The meeting also comes after Scotland’s Education Secretary
said another referendum was ‘not off the table’.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Show, Scottish Education
Secretary Mairi McAllan said: ‘An independence referendum is not off the table.
‘We devote time to it because it is the transformational
change that allows Scotland to stand on its own two feet in the world and to
fulsomely pursue the better that we want.’
The ‘status quo in the UK is unsustainable’, Ms McAllan added, pointing to the First Ministers of both Northern Ireland and Wales being in support of leaving the UK.
‘The only people who, until last week anyway, didn’t appear
to understand that were the UK Government.
‘But the Prime Minister stood at the despatch box in the
House of Commons last week and was clear that Scotland must have a route to
choose our own future, so we just want that agreed now in a legal format so
that we can take forward our mandate in Scotland.’
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