The leaders of three of the UK’s most prominent nationalist parties have come together with a stark warning for Westminster – constitutional change is coming, and the UK government had better start preparing for it.
Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru, alongside SNP leader John Swinney and Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill, delivered a joint message that the current setup of the United Kingdom is running out of road. The three leaders, representing Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively, are pushing the idea that the old way of doing things from London simply cannot continue.
For Wales, this is a significant moment. Plaid Cymru has long argued that Wales deserves far greater control over its own affairs, but seeing the party stand shoulder to shoulder with its counterparts from Edinburgh and Belfast gives the argument fresh weight. This is not just one party making noise – it is a coordinated push from three nations telling Westminster that the status quo is not sustainable.
Rhun ap Iorwerth has been vocal in recent months about what he sees as the failures of the current devolution settlement. Wales, he argues, has been left behind by a system that still keeps too much power concentrated in London. Decisions that directly affect Welsh communities, Welsh hospitals and Welsh schools are still too often made by politicians who have little connection to life in Wales.
The joint statement from the three leaders points to a growing frustration that has been building for years. Brexit accelerated a lot of these tensions, with devolved governments repeatedly claiming that powers which should have returned to Cardiff Bay, Holyrood and Stormont after leaving the EU were instead quietly absorbed back into Westminster. That row never really went away, and it has fed into a broader sense in Wales and beyond that the devolution project has stalled.
For Plaid Cymru, independence remains the ultimate goal, but the party has also been clear that there are steps along the way. More fiscal powers for the Senedd, greater control over justice and policing, and a fairer funding settlement are all part of the conversation. The alliance with the SNP and Sinn Fein helps to amplify those demands on a UK-wide stage.
The timing of this joint intervention is not accidental. With the Labour government now settled into power at Westminster, there is pressure on Keir Starmer to make good on promises around constitutional reform. Labour has talked about reforming the House of Lords and looking at the broader structure of the UK, but critics from all three devolved nations say the pace of change is far too slow.
Sinn Fein, of course, operates in a different context entirely. Michelle O’Neill’s party has a clear goal of Irish reunification, and the political situation in Northern Ireland is distinct from that in Wales or Scotland. But the three parties share a common thread – a belief that Westminster-centric politics is failing their nations and that the people they represent deserve something fundamentally different.
Back in Wales, public opinion on independence has been shifting, though it remains a minority position. Polls over recent years have shown growing support compared to where things stood a decade ago, particularly among younger voters. Plaid Cymru will be hoping that moments like this, where Wales is seen as part of a wider movement for change, help to build that momentum further.
What happens next is far from certain. Constitutional change in the UK tends to move slowly, and Westminster governments of all stripes have historically been reluctant to give up power. But the fact that the leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland’s nationalist movements are speaking with one voice is a signal that the pressure is not going away.
Whether Westminster is listening is another question entirely.