I heard that Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales leaders are planning to meet to break up UK. Is it really true? Anyone from UK here who can tell me what is actually happening there?
I heard that Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales leaders are planning to meet to break up UK. Is it really true? Anyone from UK here who can tell me what is actually happening there?
It started with this article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/13/irish-scots-and-welsh-leaders-meet-to-plot-break-up-uk/
Basically right now an independence referendum in Scotland can only be authorised by the Westminster (London) government. Whether Scotland wants one or not, thats how it is.
For the first time there are independence-supporting administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The first ministers of those countries will meet on Monday and agree a path forward, ultimately to make it harder for Westminster to say ‘no’ to future referendums.
This doesn’t ‘kick start the break up of the UK’ - all it does is put pressure on Westminster not to block independence referendums when there’s an appetite for them. The Prime Minister and his government can choose to ignore that. Nothing is changing.
The Telegraph and other right-leaning nonsense rags have latched onto this, exaggerating it because its red meat for their target audience. I think that’s where the ‘Russian interference’ is, but I’m not a unionist and one of them might explain it better.
Yankee here. If you have the time, I’d like to know a little bit more on what’s actually been happening over there. Honestly, with everything going on, it’s been hard to keep up. It’s been a lot of noise and very little information.
Sure, what would you like to know?
It hasn’t really changed since the 2014 referendum. For/against Scottish independence still hovers around 50:50, usually more on the pro-union side.
Problem is all the dollars flowing across the Atlantic to right-wing causes. Ten years ago Scotland was predominantly left-leaning. The culture wars and brainwashing on social media have lead to a lot of people being preoccupied with things like trans women and immigrants. Immigration is a funny one - we aren’t affected as bad with that as, say, the south of England. We actually need immigration to keep society functioning.
Right-wing parties are now something like 30% and is predominantly for remaining in the union, but the lefty vote is split between pro-independence and unionist parties. The majority in Holyrood (the Scottish parliament) is mostly members of Independence supporting parties, but the overall popular vote is for the Union. Because independence support is not definitive the UK gov’s position is ‘no’ to more referendums. So it just goes round in circles, and that means independence continues to dominate Scottish politics.
Telegraph is right leaning? Damn, idk that.
Yes its nickname is The Torygraph
Well Tories are kinda better if we compare it with far right. The right wing you guys have in UK is nothing compared to what I have in my country (we do not have a presence of left wing in our politics (except for some minority labor unions)).
Pretty sure, yeah. Most of the UK papers are. The only one I know for sure is The Guardian. There’s probably others.
The Observer, The Independent and The National (Scottish), The i and The Scotsman are either neutral or lefty.
Is there a “not” missing? The Guardian is left leaning except their transphobia.
Hot take. The guardian is know for being excessively woke to most people. Even i find it a little much sometimes, and I’m a total pinko. Have you any examples of their transphobia? Not being a dick, i’ve just never, ever heard that before.
Here’s an article somewhat amusingly from The Guardian on it
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/02/guardian-editorial-response-transgender-rights-uk
Also this vice article includes lots of links to relevant guardian articles
https://www.vice.com/en/article/guardian-trans-journalists/
Thanks for sharing; I genuinely didn’t know that was something they’d been criticised for. I’ll read the linked articles when I get a chance, but this is certainly news to me.
EDIT. Actually I may not read the articles. One is nearly 20 years old and the newest is over 5.
They’re from 2018 and 2022? I’m confused, but you certainly don’t have to read them.
I only know BBC when it comes to British media and that feels lefty or neutral
The BBC barely feels neutral, has mostly leaned right over the past decade.
The only major left-leaning non-tabloid one I can think of is the Guardian.
what is non tabloid?
It means semi-serious. Basically, you have broadsheets that purport to push serious journalism and tabloid papers that are more sensationalist and low-brow. Tabloids in the UK include The Sun (hugely popular, Murdoch-owned, right-wing scandal rag) and the way less popular Mirror (a left-leaning paper that sort of emulates The Sun’s style in an attempt to appeal to the masses).
Basically the guardian and i (that’s their name, a lowercase letter i, it’s so stupid)
Meh its okay but they’re under pressure to give voice to racist bigots in the interest of ‘balance’.
You should listen to 5 live (one of their radio stations). You wouldn’t believe what they let some people say live on air.