Daily Mail columnist Graham Grant criticises a summit of the UK's devolved leaders in Cardiff, branding it a reckless waste of time that plays into the hands of hostile states such as Russia and Iran. He argues that Scotland's John Swinney, alongside separatist counterparts from Wales and Northern Ireland, used the gathering to push independence claims despite no evidence of majority public support, distracting from pressing issues like NHS waiting lists and crime while undermining UK unity at a dangerous geopolitical moment.

The piece cites Labour mayor Andy Burnham's recent comments suggesting he would back another Scottish independence referendum given "clear consensus", which Grant says emboldened separatists before Burnham partially retreated. It references a July report by the Centre for State Threats finding Iran-linked fake social media posts promoting Scottish independence were viewed over 200 million times, and notes Nicola Sturgeon's own acknowledgement that war with Russia is "very near reality". Grant also condemns Swinney's willingness to work with Sinn Féin despite its IRA links, referencing families of Troubles victims who called for his resignation after he suggested people should "move on" from the past.