Large numbers of the population of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are calling for a referendum on independence from the UK. Since Britain has to make the decision, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it won’t happen unless there is a clear, sustained consensus.
Scotland has a divided electorate, with roughly split or narrow margins for and against independence (around 50%–52% in recent specific surveys.
Led by the Scottish National Party (SNP) and First Minister John Swinney, Scotland previously rejected independence 55% to 45% in a 2014 referendum, but nationalist leaders continue to push Westminster for a new vote.
Historically, Wales has recorded the lowest baseline support for outright independence compared to Scotland and Northern Ireland, though recent polling shows support rising (with some polls indicating around 39%).
Wales is led by Plaid Cymru, whose leader Rhun ap Iorwerth became First Minister, marking the first time a pro-independence party has led the Welsh government.
In Northern Ireland, public opinion on leaving the UK is closer to forming a united Ireland than to independence.
Recent surveys show tight margins, with narrow pluralities or majorities open to or favoring a border poll within the coming decade.
Power-sharing government dynamics include the Irish republican party Sinn Féin, whose leaders are joining Scottish and Welsh counterparts to demand the democratic right to self-determination.
First ministers from all three nations are coordinating a joint declaration in Cardiff to pressure the UK government, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to allow future referendums, though Westminster maintains that a clear, sustained consensus is required before any votes are granted.
Maybe if the UK would stop flooding the countries with unvetted third-worlders and overtaxing them, they wouldn’t be looking to leave.