An Emerald Unity

A Potential Celtic Power Play

The Call for a Celtic Alliance

With the writing on the wall for what is fast being realized, at least across Scotland and Wales, as a failed union, the opportunity for the unwilling participants of the union to band together politically is ever more enticing. Wales, Scotland, and Ireland(NI) share a cultural bond that has lasted through the ages, a bond steeped in history and coloured with legend. It is in times of political upheaval, such as we are experiencing today, that I would like to propose a new Celtic Alliance of the three fledgling nations. Westminster has made it known that they will not let go of their dying union willingly, and seeking permission is a fruitless endeavour. To truly break these chains, I believe we need to unite as one.

Political Alliances in a Global Context

Despite this rarely being seen in British politics, the idea of an alliance or coalition of parties within politics is far from an unusual one. Democracies across Europe and indeed the world have been utilizing this method to strengthen their representation in government for decades. Most recently in the 2022 French legislative election — ‘Ensemble’ managed to maintain the highest amount of seats despite the member parties losing a considerable number, purely due to them banding together here. Likewise in the 2022 Italian general election — ‘coalizione di centro-destra’ surged to victory in much the same way, though an argument could be made that the outcome of this particular election was very much a defeat for democracy. That aside, something like this is not uncommon at all.

Building Strong Ties through Political Cooperation

Another very interesting thing about political alliances like this, I think, is their ability to foster closer ties between the member parties within them. Often, the cooperation present between parties in alliances like this tends to carry over to their ability to govern post election. What I mean here is, building and maintaining these bridges between parties and the members within them pays dividends for cross-party cooperation in the future, as familiarity provides a much stronger basis for cooperative ruling of a government. I think it is worth noting that within the UK the idea of a coalition government has been muddied in recent years, but the evidence supporting this kind of cooperation, in my opinion, is incredibly clear.

Strategic Collaboration for Effective Governance

Something else worth noting is this — For those of us that are looking to affect change for our nations from within an established system like Westminster, the ability to cooperate with sympathetic parties isn’t just a good idea, but in most cases, a necessity. For example in Wales, if Plaid Cymru were to rally the support of the majority of Wales and win all 32 seats in Wales, their ability to act on their mandate and provide the people something such as their right to Independence, they would have just as much ability to do so as they would with only a single seat. That is to say, they would still have no ability to do so. This exact situation exists in Scotland with the SNP, and we have already seen something very similar to this happen there.

Global Models of Collaborative Success: The Nordic Example

Let’s look then at an example of a collection of nations working together towards the betterment of them all. To do, all we have to do is look towards the Nordic countries — Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. These countries, whilst not all in the EU, work closely together economically and also defensively, with their militaries routinely training together. They are even in a defensive organization together called the Nordic Defence Cooperation (Nordefco) with the aim being to strengthen the member countries' defence capabilities by identifying areas for cooperation and to promote effective solutions.

Unlocking Political Power through Unity

Each of these individual nations, taken alone, would never be able to effect real change through influence at Westminster. An alliance of these nations, though, would be in for a better shot. Indulge me for a moment here, if Plaid Cymru, the SNP, and even Sinn Féin were to carry all of the seats in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland respectively, and I know this is a pipe dream for many reasons, then this political alliance would command the power of 107 seats in Westminster. 107 seats in Westminster is over and above king-maker territory in a parliament. This, of course, would require these parties to win these seats, as well as Sinn Féin to actually take up their seats in Westminster and abandon their abstentionism, unlikely, granted. Though I would argue that if what they want is reunification, doing so alongside a Celtic Alliance such as this from within the apparatus, would greatly increase their chances of success. There are, of course, many pieces of the puzzle that would need to fall into place for an eventuality such as this to unfold, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t tangible.

Addressing Common Criticisms: Power Sharing and Effectiveness

Common arguments against electoral alliances like this are often to do with power-sharing, opponents claim that voters' wishes would be ignored as the parties within the alliance would have to compromise with each other to push through legislation, but this argument is flawed. The people that argue this seem to forget that the wishes of these voters would absolutely be being ignored if the party they voted for, be it Plaid, SNP, or Sinn Féin in this case, were not the majority party in Westminster — something that will never happen, regardless of how much support these parties gain from the voters in their nation. Another concern typically levied is the claim that “Nothing would get done.” Used mostly as a baton with which the larger parties in Westminster can beat the smaller parties in the press, though evidence throughout Europe and beyond actually shows that coalition governments and political/electoral alliances more often than not manage to be more effective at governing alongside bringing the legislative change that voters actually wanted.

The Celtic Alliance Vision: Shared Values and Objectives

With the world around us lurching to the right electorally, and the failed union crumbling alongside them, it stands to the people of these nations to fight for our future sovereignty and the very future of our nations. With the people of Wales, Northern Ireland & Scotland waking up to the fact that the UK government has never, and will never, prioritize the needs and the aspirations of those outside of England — The time for us to strike out for ourselves has arrived. I believe we can, and should, work together to achieve what we believe we are owed, but ultimately it falls to the people and their votes to deliver this particular powerful message.

Shared Governance: The People's Role in the Celtic Alliance

The proposed Celtic Alliance rests on a foundation of shared values and objectives, deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of these nations. The commitment to self-determination stands as a unifying principle, echoing the desires of the people in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to shape their destinies independently. Cultural preservation becomes paramount, acknowledging the historical legacies and linguistic identities that bind these Celtic nations. Furthermore, a resounding desire for greater autonomy serves as the driving force, compelling these parties to forge a collective path toward a future unencumbered by Westminster's grasp.

Leveraging Political Power: An Alliance for Influence

An alliance among Sinn Féin, the SNP, and Plaid Cymru presents a unique opportunity to amplify their collective political influence within Westminster. By standing united, these parties can create a formidable force capable of advocating for not only self-determination, but for a future that has long since been held ransom by the chains of a union hell-bent on extracting everything and returning nothing to the people of these storied lands.