A Europe of Nations: Scotland, Wales, England, and a United Ireland

23.09.2026

From the western shores of the Atlantic in Lisbon to the frozen Barents sea, the peoples of Europe are reclaiming their right to self-rule. Scotland, Wales and the north of Ireland are nations with their own respective languages, histories and identities, not mere regions of a larger state. Allocating sovereignty to these peoples, within a united European framework, is not chaotic but rather the naturalistic order that has shaped this Continent for decades. Recent months make the case plain. In August of 2026 the Scottish government published its draft independence referendum bill, and First Minister John Swinney is pushing for a vote before 2031. In Cardiff the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland stood together and declared that Westminster’s time is ending. Plaid Cymru, now leading the Welsh government, has formally demanded the power to set its own referendum, while Sinn Féin keeps pressure on for a border poll. Polls shift dynamically, yet the direction is clear and the debate on this matter will not fade.

Nations have a right to prosper within the context of their people’s identity and interests. The English are a people, the Scots are a people, the Welsh are a people and the Irish are a people. All the aforementioned ethnic groups must be stated to be of a collectively European ethos and background. Ethnic national inclusion has evident and real world benefits throughout the  perpetuity of European civilizational development. A negotiated settlement is best in delivering results and managing the logistics associated with such plans. The pronounced potential upsides are the independence for Scotland and Wales, the reunification of Ireland, and a new deal that leaves England stronger. Expand the existing Common Travel Area into a full free-movement and business zone covering England, Scotland, Wales, and the whole island of Ireland. These unique ethnic groupings all belong to a common Northwest Atlantic stock. Citizens of all four could live, work, and trade freely with no visas. England gains a cleaner map, keeps its core strengths, and mitigates itself from endless constitutional friction. Scotland and Wales take full responsibility for their own futures, and a united Ireland ends a long-running division between the Atlantic peoples of the British Isles.

This fits a conservative, pro-European outlook. We need a Europe of sovereign nations that trade freely, defend their cultures and cooperate where it suits them, not a super-state that erases borders. An independent Scotland and Wales could join the EU on their own terms if they choose, while England negotiates its own relationship. National democracy comes first. The parties already doing this work sit in the European Conservatives and Reformists, Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations. Reform UK and Restore in England, Scotland and Wales would fit well in Patriots for Europe or the European Conservatives and Reformists with its focus on sovereignty and borders. In Ireland, Aontú could align with the European Conservatives and Reformists as a conservative nationalist force, while the Traditional Unionist Voice in the north might find a home in Europe of Sovereign Nations for its hard line on identity. These groups should welcome such forces from the British Isles once the dust settles, parties that put their own peoples first. Europe works best when real nations decide their own paths.