The leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland called Monday for the British government to “prepare for, plan and facilitate” constitutional change that could lead to the breakup of the United Kingdom, with the remarks coming days after President Donald Trump said he would “love to see” Irish reunification.
“Westminster’s time is coming to an end,” Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said in a historic joint declaration issued in Cardiff.
The nationalist party leaders had met Monday to strengthen cooperation among Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and advance what they described as “constitutional change.”
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The declaration, signed during the summit in Cardiff, signals an unprecedented challenge to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the U.K.’s constitutional settlement.
Trump spoke about the status of Northern Ireland over the weekend, saying Saturday during a visit to Dublin: “It’s going to happen eventually. It might as well happen now.”
On Sunday, Trump repeated his support for a united Ireland, saying it made sense to merge the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland.
“It just seems to me that you have Northern Ireland and you have Ireland, and it would seem to me that one of the naturals of all time is put them together,” Trump said in Doonbeg.
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“You asked about Scotland. That one I won’t talk about yet. I’ll save that for another day,” he added.
By Monday, the nationalist leaders had released a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to drive constitutional change.
They said no Westminster government has the right to block democratic decisions made by Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
“Each of our nations has the right to determine its own future, through democratic means and in accordance with the wishes of its people,” the three leaders wrote.
“For the first time ever, people across these islands have First Ministers in Scotland, in Wales and in the North of Ireland who are all committed to independence from the United Kingdom. For people watching across these islands – for people watching around the world – there could be no clearer sign that Westminster’s time is coming to an end,” the statement continued.
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“We call for the British Government to prepare for, plan and facilitate constitutional change in each jurisdiction,” the memorandum said.
According to GB News, Burnham was told Monday that he could not stop the breakup of the U.K.
Sinn Féin, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, issued the warning after signing the memorandum with the SNP and Plaid Cymru.
O’Neill said the three nations shared a “common cause” because “Westminster does not and will never serve our people well.”
She added during a news conference that Burnham would not be able to “hold back the tide” of nationalism.
“We’re certainly living in times of enormous change, change that is unstoppable, change that, no matter what is said by any British prime minister, will not be able to hold back the tide of what’s happening in front of our eyes right now.
“Our common cause here is the understanding that Westminster does not and will never serve our people well,” she added.
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The memorandum commits the parties to cooperation on economic policy, renewable energy and rebuilding ties with the European Union, among other areas.
It also calls for greater self-determination and states that the nations should work together as equals.
A spokesperson for Burnham said: “The Prime Minister is committed to delivering change across all four nations of the United Kingdom and believes strongly in the Union.
“The United Kingdom is at its best when people come together around our shared values and problem-solving, rather than division, and the Prime Minister will continue to ease pressures on household finances and delivering greater economic security, rather than engaging in constitutional debates or further referendums.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for comment.
