Is UK heading for a breakup? Is the UK heading for a breakup?

A fresh challenge is emerging as leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland prepare to join forces in a push for greater self-determination and the right to hold independence referendums. According to The Telegraph, the leaders of the three devolved nations are set to meet in Wales' Cardiff for an unprecedented summit, where they are expected to sign a joint declaration asserting their right to hold independence referendums and determine their own constitutional futures.

The gathering comes at a politically sensitive moment for Westminster. UK PM Andy Burnham recently told MPs that he would authorise another Scottish independence referendum if there were a “clear consensus” in favour of one.

The issue has gained further momentum after US President Donald Trump weighed in on Irish reunification. During a visit to Dublin on Saturday, Trump said he would “love” to see a united Ireland, describing Northern Ireland joining the Republic as “a great thing” and asking: “How can it be bad?”

The comments have added to pressure on the Burnham-led UK government as nationalist parties push for a greater say over their nations’ futures. PM Burnham has made the devolution of power in England a central part of his political agenda.

Pro-independence parties gain groundThe balance of power across the devolved nations has shifted significantly following Labour’s poor performance in Wales at May’s elections. For the first time, pro-independence parties are now in government across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Plaid Cymru emerged as the largest party in the Cardiff Senedd, paving the way for its leader Rhun ap Iowerth to become Wales’ First Minister. In Scotland, the SNP remained the dominant political force despite losing six Holyrood seats, with Reform and the Greens making gains.

Northern Ireland has also been under Sinn Fein leadership since Michelle O’Neill became First Minister in 2024. Sinn Fein had emerged as the largest party in the 2022 Stormont elections, although a DUP walkout delayed the formation of the executive.

The party is widely expected to retain power when Northern Ireland votes again next year. The Cardiff summit will bring together the three first ministers along with Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein’s president and leader of the opposition in Ireland.