Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish leaders sign EU-focused independence pact

Leaders of the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, and Sinn Féin signed a memorandum of understanding in Cardiff on September 14, asserting their nations' right to self-determination and a shared goal of future European Union membership. The agreement, signed by SNP leader John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O'Neill, called on the UK government to prepare for and facilitate constitutional change in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The memorandum states that the future of their nations belongs in the European Union, citing the economic damage caused by Brexit. It also sets out ambitions for cooperation on the economy, energy, and international affairs, while acknowledging that the three parties hold different constitutional positions and that each nation would move at its own pace. The leaders met in their capacity as party leaders, not as representatives of their respective governments, though Swinney and ap Iorwerth are the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, and O'Neill holds the same office in Northern Ireland.