Trump's Ireland Remark Draws Flak as UK Unity under Threat

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The nationalist leaders of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland gathered on Monday, September 14, 2026, to declare their right to self-determination to leave the UK. 

The three leaders—John Swinney of Scotland, Michelle O'Neill of Northern Ireland, and Rhun ap Iorwerth of Wales—attended the meeting in Cardiff on behalf of their respective political parties, instead of their capacity as government officials.

The political parties are Scotland's SNP, Wales' Plaid Cymru, and the pro-unification Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland.  Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald also attended the meeting, as reported by BBC.

“Our nations have the right to self-determination. No Westminster government has the right to block democracy or undermine the principle that our people will decide their own future,” the agreement said.

Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are part of the UK's constituency, alongside England. Citing Al Jazeera, the power system across the four constituencies is called devolution, which means the power between the central government and the four nations is not "constitutionally divided on an equal basis."

While the respective governments have some power over their own legislatures, defense and foreign affairs remain controlled by the UK. Moreover, none of the states could break free from London unilaterally.

Scotland, for example, held an independence referendum—albeit failed by 55 percent to 45 percent—in 2014 after Westminster gave the go-ahead. Wales also has no existing legal mechanism that allows the parliament to call for a referendum without the UK's permission. 

On the other hand, a referendum for Northern Ireland could only be held at the discretion of the British government, under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. 

But on Monday, the three first ministers of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland declared that "constitutional change is coming” as the three states have leaders that are all committed to independence from the United Kingdom "for the first time ever."

“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 agreement said.

“We call for the British government to prepare for, plan and facilitate constitutional change in each jurisdiction.”

The agreement also acknowledged that each nation will "determine its own future in its own way and in its own time."

The agreement came just days after US President Donald Trump visited Ireland on Saturday and weeks after British PM Andy Burnham said Northern Ireland's referendum towards independence from the UK was "off the table."

Trump, during his time in Dublin, said a unified Ireland would be "fantastic," a statement that drew immediate flak not only from the UK, but from Gavin Robinson, leader of Northern Ireland's main unionist party DUP.

Citing Al Jazeera, Robinson asserted that "Northern Ireland’s constitutional future will be decided by the people of Northern Ireland, not by commentary in London, Dublin or Washington."

Meanwhile, British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch slammed Trump's remark, stating on X that the US president was "shooting from the hip as usual, just like he did with Greenland and Canada becoming the 51st state."

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also hit back on the remark, saying he disagreed with Trump. "Northern Ireland is a proud and integral part of the United Kingdom," he said on X.