Scottish independence is supported most prominently by the Scottish National Party, but other parties also support independence. Other pro-independence parties which have held representation in the Scottish Parliament include the Scottish Green Party,[1] the Scottish Socialist Party and Solidarity. At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, 69 of the 129 seats available were won by pro-independence parties (63 SNP and 6 Greens). The independence movement consists of many factions with varying political views. The SNP wants Scotland to keep the monarchy (see personal union) and become an independent Commonwealth realm, similar to Canada or Australia. Others—such as the SSP and Solidarity—want Scotland to become an independent republic. The SSP has led republican protests and authored the Declaration of Calton Hill, calling for an independent republic.[2]
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but has a substantial nationalist population who would prefer to be part of a united Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the term "nationalist" is used to refer to those who seek Irish reunion by constitutional means. A more militant strand of nationalism, traditionally associated with the Sinn Féin party, is generally described as "republican" and was regarded as somewhat distinct, although the modern-day party declares itself to be a constitutional party committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means.[3] The counterpart of nationalism is Unionism, which seeks to maintain the union with the United Kingdom, again by constitutional means. The more militant strand of Unionism is called Loyalism.
Welsh independence (Welsh: Annibyniaeth i Gymru) is a political ideal advocated by some political parties, advocacy groups, and people in Wales that would see Wales secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state. This ideology is promoted mainly by the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, and the non-party YesCymru campaign.
The Celtic League and Celtic Congress have a Cornish branch and recognise Cornwall as a Celtic Nation alongside the Isle of Man, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. The league is a political pressure group that campaigns for independence and Celtic cooperation.[4]Mebyon Kernow is a regional party in Cornwall that promotes Cornish nationalism.[5]
London independence, sometimes shortened to Londependence,[6] refers to a belief favouring full-fledged independence for London as a city-state, separate from the United Kingdom.
In July 2023, Orkney Council announced they were to look in alternative constitutional arrangements including changing its status within the UK or leaving the UK to become associated with Norway.[9][10]
A movement called Wir Shetland was launched in October 2015[11] to secede from the rest of Scotland in favour of becoming either a Crown Dependency or a British Overseas Territory, as a means of achieving greater autonomy for the Shetland Isles.[12]
In September 2020 the Shetland Islands Council voted in favour of exploring options for "financial and political self-determination", stating that the islands' reliance on Scotland was "seriously threatening the prosperity, and even basic sustainability, of Shetland as a community."[13]