SF to join Welsh, Scottish leaders for independence talks

The First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland are expected to sign a landmark agreement this morning aimed at putting pressure on Downing Street to hold referendums on independence.

Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill, SNP leader John Swinney and Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will meet in Cardiff, where they are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding pushing for referendums in their respective countries, the Press Association understands.

The trio will meet in their capacity as party leaders, rather than as officials in their respective governments.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald will also attend the meeting.

Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP, has said Ms O'Neill has "not sought any agreement or permission from me to travel, attend or sign anything as First Minister".

Successive UK governments have been consistently against the holding of referendums on separation since the 2014 vote in Scotland and hopes earlier this week of a softening position were dashed by Downing Street.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the Commons another vote in Scotland could be held if there was a "clear consensus" north of the border for it, but a letter sent to Mr Swinney later clarified a referendum remained "off limits".

The issue of a border poll in Ireland has been thrust into the spotlight following weekend comments from US President Donald Trump in support of Irish unity.

A Sinn Féin source said the Cardiff summit will be about "where the parties can work together to make a difference to people's lives; and how each of our nations has the right to shape its own future through democratic means, guided by the will of its people".

The source added: "In Ireland, the constitutional future belongs to the people of this island.

"The Good Friday Agreement gives us the democratic means to decide it, and now is the time to prepare seriously for that choice.

"Irish unity is not a distant aspiration. The work of building the new Ireland must begin now."

However, Ms Little-Pengelly, the joint head of the Stormont powersharing Executive accused Ms O'Neill of attempting to "weaponise the role of First Minister".

In a social media post she said: "Let me be absolutely clear. Michelle O'Neill is not travelling to this 'summit' as First Minister, she has no authority to present herself as representing the FM role at any such 'summit' and nor does she have any authority to sign anything as First Minister of Northern Ireland at any such 'summit'.

"She has not sought any agreement or permission from me to travel, attend or sign anything as First Minister.

"She would have needed to do so to do anything as FM. The formal roles we hold are entirely joint roles."

Watch: What did Donald Trump say about a united Ireland?

Pursuit of 'different attitude'

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorweth said: "We're talking about how we can work together, let’s talk about what we have in common and what we don’t."

He added: "There’s also something that ties us together, isn’t there? That pursuit of a different attitude from UK government.

"It could be around the constitutional question, it could, more acutely, be around fair funding, making sure resource is shared in a way that is equitable, that feels fair, that we have the powers to build the future for the people that we represent."

He continued: "We can work together as First Ministers across these islands, I think, in a positive way for the people we represent, whilst also absolutely reflecting on the fact that we have differences between us."

The meeting also comes after Scotland’s Education Secretary said another referendum was "not off the table".

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Show, Scottish Education Secretary Mairi McAllan said: "An independence referendum is not off the table.

"We devote time to it because it is the transformational change that allows Scotland to stand on its own two feet in the world and to fulsomely pursue the better that we want."

The "status quo in the UK is unsustainable", Ms McAllan added, pointing to the First Ministers of both Northern Ireland and Wales being in support of leaving the UK.

"The only people who, until last week anyway, didn’t appear to understand that were the UK government.

"But the Prime Minister stood at the despatch box in the House of Commons last week and was clear that Scotland must have a route to choose our own future, so we just want that agreed now in a legal format so that we can take forward our mandate in Scotland."

Changed dynamic in British politics, says Murphy

Sinn Féin's leader in the Seanad said there is a changed dynamic in British politics and that he thinks there is a recognition that this "brings us to a new footing".

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme, Senator Conor Murphy said today's meeting of Sinn Féin, SNP and Plaid Cymru aims to establish a formalised programme of collaboration between the nationalist parties.

There is clearly a changed dynamic in British politics with the continued success of the SNP and election of Plaid, he said, and "I think there is a recognition that this brings us to a new footing".

Referencing Donald Trump's comments on a united Ireland, Mr Murphy said it reinforces the need for the Taoiseach to get down "to serious preparation" for constitutional change on the island.

Mr Murphy said no one wants to stumble into a Brexit-like scenario and there must be an orderly and smooth transition into constitutional change.

There has always been bi-partisan support in the US for Northern Ireland, Senator Murphy added.

"So I hope it has some positive effect in that regard. But it is interesting nonetheless. I think he (Trump) reflects the general view of politics in the United States in relation to Ireland," he said.