The future of our nations must belong to the people who live there - Lorna Slater
This week’s meeting of the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was an important moment in the changing constitutional politics of these islands. For the first time, all three devolved nations are led by parties committed to independence.
The memorandum agreed on Monday rightly recognises that the people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should have the right to determine their own futures.
That should not be controversial. Democracy should never depend on whether a Westminster government happens to like the result.
In Scotland, there is now a clear pro-independence majority in public opinion and has been for some time. Westminster needs to recognise that reality rather than continuing to pretend that the constitutional question can simply be ignored.
But this First Minister’s summit was about more than independence. It was also about the broken relationship between Westminster and the nations of the UK.
Too many important decisions affecting our communities are still made in London, despite the fact that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own democratic mandates and distinct priorities.
The UK Government must now agree a clear framework with all of the devolved nations for how constitutional change can be delivered democratically.
That framework has to respect the right of people in each nation to decide their own future, provide certainty around the process, and prevent Westminster from moving the goalposts whenever it finds the politics inconvenient. For Scotland, that means giving people the democratic choice of independence.
The Scottish Greens believe independence gives us the opportunity to build a fairer, greener and more democratic country, where decisions are made closer to the people they affect.
Monday’s meeting made clear that the constitutional future of these islands is changing. No one minds if some political figures and parties want to campaign in favour of the union, but it is pure cowardice not to allow the question to be asked.
The choice should be clear. The future of our nations must belong to the people who live in them.