Prospect of three nationalist FMs shows UK has ‘fundamentally’ changed – Swinney

David Young, Press Association

The prospect of three nationalist first ministers in the devolved regions should send a clear signal to the Prime Minister that the UK has fundamentally changed, John Swinney has said.

Scotland’s First Minister and the SNP leader said the “Celtic fringe” was now “centre stage” and it could no longer be “business as usual” in how the UK Government engages with the devolved administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

Mr Swinney, who saw the SNP retain primacy as Scotland’s largest party in the Holyrood election, welcomed Plaid Cymru’s victory in Wales and said he also spoke to Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill on Friday evening about their shared interests.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth is well placed to become Welsh First Minister, potentially as the head of a minority government, after the Senedd election.

Sinn Fein vice president Ms O’Neill made history in 2024 when she became Northern Ireland’s first nationalist First Minister. However, the republican politician is not the sole leader of the Stormont Executive, and instead jointly leads alongside DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, as both roles are co-equal.

Mr Swinney appeared to downplay the prospect of the three nationalist first ministers working together to bring about constitutional change in the UK, insisting that each had their own individual “constitutional journeys” to take. However, he did say there was room for greater cooperation to change the dynamic between Westminster and the devolved nations.

“After Thursday’s elections, there are now set to be first ministers in Wales, Northern Ireland and in Scotland, all committed to fundamental constitutional change,” Mr Swinney said.

“If Westminster has not yet grasped the significance of this moment, then it certainly will come to appreciate it in the weeks and the months ahead, believe me, because the direction of travel is clear. What people in London like to refer to, rather patronisingly, as the Celtic fringe is very much about to become centre stage.”

He added: “We’ve all got our constitutional journeys to take forward, and I’m not going to prescribe anyone else’s. I’ll just try to make sure that there’s an understanding in Whitehall that it’s not business as usual.”

The SNP leader made the comments in Edinburgh on Saturday as he held a post-election press conference.

“In relation to the work amongst the three devolved governments, I think it is very clear from the engagement that we have had over the course of the last period the interest in working together,” he said.

“Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, made very clear last night her enthusiasm to work collaboratively. And I have been again in contact with Michelle on that question. So we will advance that.

“Whether there is a cultural appreciation in Whitehall of just how much the United Kingdom has changed because there is a nationalist administration in Scotland, I hope there will be one in Wales, as a consequence of the post-election arrangement, and there is a nationalist First Minister in Northern Ireland – the UK is in a fundamentally different position.

“And the bit that’s got to catch up with this is Whitehall, and the sooner they do, the better. And we will be pressing for that to be the case.”