The End of the United Kingdom?

The convening of a summit at Cardiff of the leaders of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to hasten the end of the United Kingdom is a remarkable moment. England and Scotland were soldered together in 1707, and Ireland was formally joined to them in 1801. London’s direct rule over Wales is even more ancient, dating to 1536. President Trump declared his wish to see British rule gone from northern Ireland. The Scots, Welsh, and Irish could be pushing through an open door. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is so fond of devolution he wants to govern from Manchester and not London. Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, declares that Mr. Burnham “will go down in history as the final prime minister of the United Kingdom.” The three first ministers gathered at Cardiff all want independence referendums and self-determination post haste. Mr. Burnham on Wednesday added fuel to the fire when he told Parliament that he would authorize a referendum in Scotland if there were a “clear consensus” in favor. Cardiff’s Senned is now dominated by a pro-independence party, Plaid Cymru. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin, long the political vehicle for the hopes of a United Ireland numbering all 32 counties, holds sway at Belfast’s Stormont. Sinn Fein also has its eyes on a referendum. A Sinn Féin source tells the Telegraph that “Irish unity is not a distant aspiration. The work of building the new Ireland must begin now.” President Trump appears eager to assist in that project, declaring on Saturday at Dublin that he would “love” to see a united Ireland and asking “How can it be bad?” He added that it’s “going to happen eventually,” so it “may as well happen now.” He also vowed to “take the tariffs off Irish whiskey.” That marks a swerve from America’s position since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which ended the decades-long violence between unionists and republicans known as “the Troubles.” In that accord Washington took the position that it was “neither in favor of a united Ireland nor opposed to the idea” of a united Ireland. Now, Mr. Trump says unification would be “fantastic” and “one of the naturals of all time.”The Good Friday agreement mandates that consent for a united Ireland must be “freely and concurrently given” in both the North and the South of the island of Ireland. The Secretary of State is ordered to call for a referendum if it “at any time it appears likely” that a majority at Northern Ireland supports unification. Mr. Burnham told the Commons last week that “exactly the same situation” applies in Scotland. The prospect of what Mr. Trump calls a “merger” between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was met with swift disapproval from some of Mr. Trump’s ostensible allies, including parliamentarians Nigel Farage and the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch. She called Mr. Trump’s remarks “deeply unhelpful.” As our A.R. Hoffman reported last week, Mr. Burnham has previously said that a referendum on unification is “off the table.”Ms. Badenoch and Mr. Farage are both backers of Brexit, and it could be that their commitment to that project is animating their opposition to a prospective windfall for the European Union. Scotland, and Wales — and a united Ireland — would all make a bums’ rush to Brussels. If the United Kingdom fragments, the statist regime on the Continent appears likely to swell. Would King Charles III stay silent if his realm is riven?

The End of the United Kingdom?

The End of the United Kingdom?

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