John Swinney

Glasgow Times, Politics, on Monday the 14th of September.

John Swinney to join a referendum pact with Wales and Northern Ireland.

An article written by Amy Miles.

First Ministers from the UK's devolved nations are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Referendums and Constitutional Futures.

The Scottish First Minister John Swinney, the Welsh First Minister Rhian Apiorwerth and Northern Ireland's Michelle O'Neill will meet in Cardiff on Monday in their capacity as party leaders rather than government officials.

They're expected to sign a memorandum of understanding calling for the right to hold referendums on independence for their respective nations.

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." In Ireland, the constitutional future belongs to the people of this island.

NG Homes, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government have all publicly stated that those claims are untrue.

Micheál Martin, good morning.

Good morning, John.

This is all a bit sudden.

How is it going to happen?

Well, it's not that sudden, John, in the sense that we've been working, I've been thinking and reflecting on this for quite some time and the catalyst for this in many ways is to move away from an emotion charge to push towards and to look at it in more practical terms and ask some very basic questions.

So we're putting together a white paper that seeks to define what would a United Ireland look like.

Now later on in the interview, Micheál Martin expands on why he believes this is the time to do this.

We're saying there's a requirement, there's an obligation to spell out how you would do it, because it's far more difficult.

So the leaders of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin, have signed a joint agreement asserting the right of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to self-determination.

John Swinney, Roop Amploweth and Michelle O'Neill met in Cardiff arguing that Westminster... has no right to rent their populations deciding their constitutional futures.

All three movements ultimately want constitutional change with different objectives.

SNP wants an independent Scotland, Plaid Cymru wants Welsh independence, Sinn Fein wants Irish reunification.

Now, interestingly enough, Andy Burnham has said that he is going to give those powers to councils.

I can't get anyone to answer my question yet, which is, is that in England only? Or is he going to extend that to Scotland? But my argument would be if he only does it in England, we should lobby John Swinney to make sure that we do it in Scotland as well.

Because those are, you know, people talk about some of the buildings in the city and how they don't look great but most of those buildings are not owned by us and we you know local government and I'm sure we'll come on and talk about this but local government's in a really difficult place financially so we couldn't afford to take on all those buildings but we should have powers to be able to force the people that do own them to do something about them because some of them are being allowed to deteriorate and that's a crying shame for our city because some of the architecture in our city is absolutely stunning and we need to be able to save that for future generations.

I mean, that sort of follows along from what I was about to ask you.

And, you know, people are saying to me, oh, well, and you made the point there about, are you not just pushing that problem elsewhere? But it's why should it be pushed all in Glasgow is my question.

And why should Glasgow have to pick up the cost of all of that? It is a Scotland-wide issue.

You will listen to John Swinney and to other members of the Scottish Parliament saying Scotland welcomes refugees.

The reality at the moment is Glasgow welcomes all those refugees and we just can't continue to do that.

Right, big question this week.

Was it a massive moment of constitutional change or was it a bit of a political stunt? John Swinney was in Cardiff meeting with the Welsh First Minister and the First Minister of Northern Ireland.

Yeah, and then there's been this debate in Parliament this week about data centres and the pros and cons of those in Scotland.

Yeah.

There we go.

Well, turn to the section on independence, if you will, because we're going to kick off.

Talking about the events earlier this week, where we had John Swinney, Welsh First Minister Reena Puirworth.

Sorry if I've got his name not quite right there, but that is my best pronunciation I can do.

Cat, what did you make of this fairly unique gathering, this summit, this meeting of minds? What did you think of it?

I like that John Swinney has clearly decided to go hard or go home.

His line about Andy Burnham being the last prime minister of the UK just spares nothing, though perhaps will not spare his blushes when that does not come to pass.

I think now is a good time for them to grab that particular nettle thistle, maybe more appropriate.

Well, you

know what's on my mind.

John Sweeney, I believe, is the name of the First Minister of Scotland.

I think it is.

I don't think so.

I was kind of interested in this week, I think it was yesterday, John Swinney and the Welsh chaps and Michelle O'Neill all met together in Cardiff, I think it was.

Obviously they all signed the declaration and blah, blah, blah.

So they obviously made a bit of political capital out of that, but I think you're right.

Success of American administrations have reflected a more positive and progressive position on Ireland, and this bodes well for the future.

The demand for the unity referendums and for the conversation on a united Ireland got a further boost on Monday last, when Sinn Féin President Oaktarine, Hinn Féin, Mary Lou MacDonald, and last Oaktarine, Michelle O'Neill, travelled to Cardiff for a meeting with Scotland's First Minister and the SN, the Scottish National Party leader, John Swinney, and the Plaid Cibru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

And that was a very historic initiative by the leaders of the three nationalist and pro-independent parties in government in the north, in Scotland and in Wales.

And they came together in a shared desire to shape our future free from British rule.