A summit bringing together representatives of civic and political organisations from Wales, Scotland and Ireland was held in Cardiff on Friday 25 September 2026 to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation between self-determination campaigns across the three nations.

The summit, Celtic Nations in Partnership – A Strategic Summit on Self-Determination, was convened by YesCymru following months of discussions and relationship-building with organisations across the three nations.

The meeting brought together representatives from nine organisations:

• YesCymru
• Ireland’s Future
• SDLP
• Plaid Cymru
• Green Party Wales
• Believe in Scotland
• Business for Scotland
• Common Weal
• Scottish Independence Forum

The gathering marked the first known meeting of its kind, bringing together civic campaigns and political organisations from across the three nations to explore their shared interests and opportunities for collaboration.

Participants recognised the considerable potential to strengthen their respective movements through the exchange of research, knowledge, experience and expertise, alongside greater mutual support and promotion of each other's campaigns.

Crucially, there was broad agreement that the Cardiff summit should be the beginning of an ongoing process of cooperation rather than a one-off event.

Two further gatherings were agreed in principle, with the next proposed for Ireland in November 2026, followed by a meeting in Scotland.

Building stronger relationships across three nations

The initiative was developed by YesCymru following several months of engagement with organisations involved in the campaigns for Welsh and Scottish independence and Irish reunification.

These discussions culminated in the Cardiff summit, where participants shared insights into their respective political landscapes, the challenges facing their movements and the opportunities for closer cooperation.

Rather than establishing a new organisation or formal structure, the emphasis was on developing practical relationships that would allow existing movements to work more closely together while retaining their independence.

Key areas of discussion included:

• Sharing research, knowledge and expertise.
• Learning from the experiences of different self-determination campaigns.
• Supporting and amplifying campaigns across the three nations.
• Strengthening direct relationships between participating organisations.
• Exploring opportunities for practical collaboration.
• Maintaining momentum through regular meetings and ongoing dialogue.

“The beginning of something, not the end of a conference”

Sam Murphy, Vice-Chair of YesCymru, said:

“This was a genuinely significant moment. For the first time, representatives of civic movements and grassroots organisations working for Irish reunification and Welsh and Scottish independence sat around the same table and began a conversation about how we can work together.

YesCymru began these conversations many months ago because we recognised the value in bringing people together who are working in different nations but share a fundamental principle: that our nations should have the right to determine their own futures.

We are not trying to create one organisation or tell anyone how they should run their campaign. The strength of this initiative is that each movement remains independent while recognising that we can achieve more by sharing what we know, supporting one another and amplifying each other’s work.

It was clear to me that each nation has something unique to bring to the table that can help the others. YesCymru is currently campaigning for a referendum on independence for Wales in 2032. Ireland and Scotland are campaigning for their own respective referendums which may be within a year or two of that. We believe this summit, and the ones to follow, can be a huge strategic help in forwarding those aims.

We welcome the impact of the recent meeting between our respective first ministers but we believe that winning hearts and minds at street level is what determines a successful outcome. That is what our respective organisations are focussed on.

The agreement to meet again in Ireland in November, followed by a gathering in Scotland, shows that there is a genuine appetite to continue this work. What happened in Cardiff was the beginning of something, not the end of a conference.”

Looking ahead

The summit established a foundation for closer cooperation between the participating movements, based on shared learning, practical collaboration and mutual support.

Organisers emphasised that the initiative would respect the independence and distinct political circumstances of each participating organisation, while recognising the benefits of working together towards their respective goals.

The next gathering is expected to take place in Ireland in November 2026, hosted by Ireland’s Future, with further details to be agreed among participating organisations. A subsequent meeting is planned for Scotland.