Sinn Fein demands place in Irish government after electoral 'revolution'

[webfact]

Sinn Fein demands place in Irish government after electoral 'revolution'

By Padraic Halpin and Graham Fahy

 

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald looks on as supporters cheer at a count centre, during Ireland's national election, in Dublin, Ireland, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Phil Noble

 

DUBLIN/CORK (Reuters) - Left-wing Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein on Sunday demanded to be part of the next Irish government after tallies indicated it secured the most votes in an election that leader Mary Lou McDonald described as a ballot box "revolution".

 

The former political wing of the Irish Republican Army, which has reinvented itself as the main left-wing party, secured 24% of first preference votes, almost doubling its vote from the last election four years ago, a tally by Virgin Media TV showed.

 

That put it narrowly ahead of the party of Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and fellow centre-right rival Fianna Fail. However Sinn Fein is likely to fall behind at least one of its rivals in terms of seat numbers as it stood far fewer candidates and can aim at best to be a junior partner in a government.

 

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who have between them led every government since the foundation of the state, consistently ruled out a coalition with Sinn Fein ahead of the election, citing its policies and history.

 

Analysts suggested that resolve may be tested in the coming days in what many described as a seismic shift in Irish politics away from the century-old, centre-right duopoly.

 

"This is certainly an election that is historic... this is changing the shape and the mould of Irish politics. This is just the beginning," McDonald told a media scrum after arriving at her election count to a huge ovation from party supporters.

 

"I do not accept the exclusion or talk of excluding our party, a party that represents now a quarter of the electorate and I think that that is fundamentally undemocratic."

 

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who predicted his party would win the most seats, declined to repeat his earlier refusals to consider a coalition with Sinn Fein, saying only that there were significant incompatibilities on policy.

 

"Our policies and our principles have not changed overnight, in 24 hours, but what is important is that the country comes first," he told reporters in Cork. He later added that Fianna Fail's issues with Sinn Fein's history had not gone away.

 

Ireland began counting votes on Sunday in a national election that an exit poll indicated would show a historic breakthrough for left-wing nationalists Sinn Fein but leave a fractured political landscape with no clear path to a governing coalition. Emer McCarthy reports.

 

The first parliamentary seats under Ireland's complex single transferable vote system began to be declared from 1600 GMT. The final and potentially decisive results may not be known until Monday or even later.

 

IRA WAR

Sinn Fein has moved on from the long leadership of Gerry Adams, seen by many as the face of the IRA's war against British rule in Northern Ireland - a conflict in which some 3,600 people were killed before a 1998 peace deal.

 

Irish tricolour flags were flown at a Dublin count centre as Sinn Fein supporters were led in a chorus of the Irish rebel song "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" by Dessie Ellis, a re-elected lawmaker who was jailed on possession of explosives in 1981.

 

Early tallies showed McDonald had more than twice the number of votes needed for election in her constituency - and the Sinn Fein candidate was well ahead of Varadkar in his four-seat Dublin West constituency.

 

The tallies showed a reasonable result for Varadkar's Fine Gael, in power since 2011, after opinion polls a week ago showed it in third place.

 

But the party's focus on the fastest growing economy in the EU and success in negotiating a Brexit deal that avoided a hard border with Northern Ireland failed to capture the imagination of voters, who were far more focused on issues like health and housing, where Sinn Fein has been strong.

 

Just 1% of exit poll respondents said Britain's exit from the EU was a factor in how they voted, Ipsos MRBI found.

 

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail said before the election that they would look to smaller parties to form what would likely be another minority government - requiring support of the other from the opposition benches via a "confidence and supply deal."

 

"The issue really is what kind of confidence and supply agreement could be put together and are we in a position where that's a realistic option," Fine Gael minister Richard Bruton told Reuters, adding he saw "no flinching at all" in his party's ruling out of Sinn Fein.

 

(Additional reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Frances Kerry and Ros Russell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-10

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[Laughing Gravy]

I am awaiting all those anti brexit posters supporting Sinn Fein. Lets remember who these are. This party supported terrorist attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children.

 

They are a nationalist party on the far right. If you want to compare them with a party in the UK I would put them on the spectrum of Britain First, only probably further, as they have close links with murderers.

[terryw]

Sinn Fein is a front for the IRA terrorists. Many people who voted for them are too young to remember the Troubles.

[RuamRudy]

3 minutes ago, terryw said:

Sinn Fein is a front for the IRA terrorists. Many people who voted for them are too young to remember the Troubles.

And the DUP is a front for loyalist terrorists. What is your point? 

 

That the young don't remember the Troubles is a good thing because it means that those dark days are behind us. The IRA was created by those who experienced first hand the treatment of Ireland and the Irish by the British.

 

The current youth are the future of Ireland - better they view the world with aspirations of unbound greatness rather than being burdened by the sins of their and our fathers. 

[Chomper Higgot]

13 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I am awaiting all those anti brexit posters supporting Sinn Fein. Lets remember who these are. This party supported terrorist attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children.

 

They are a nationalist party on the far right. If you want to compare them with a party in the UK I would put them on the spectrum of Britain First, only probably further, as they have close links with murderers.

It seems you’ve suddenly forgotten ‘the will of the people’.

 

The Sinn Fein managed to secure a larger vote than any other party.

 

I’m not at all sure why you think any of us ‘want to compare them with a party in the UK’, I personally can’t think of anything more revealing of a misunderstanding of what Sinn Fein stand for, but then it was your idea to make the comparison.

[melvinmelvin]

22 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I am awaiting all those anti brexit posters supporting Sinn Fein. Lets remember who these are. This party supported terrorist attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children.

 

They are a nationalist party on the far right. If you want to compare them with a party in the UK I would put them on the spectrum of Britain First, only probably further, as they have close links with murderers.

 

far right?

are you sure that you have your sense of direction in order?

 

Murdering occurs over the entire political scale,

just ask Khmer Rouge and KGB and Stalin and SS and Stasi and Rote Arme and Baader Meinhoff and Franco

and a bunch of others

 

[jonwilly]

Oh Goody Goody, Bit of luck and they will get a referendum with the North and

manage to Unite to become an Independent Member of the EU.

 

john

Bye Bye 

Visitor to the North from 69-90, Please GO.

Edited February 10, 2020 by jonwilly
Idiocy.

[Laughing Gravy]

15 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

far right?

are you sure that you have your sense of direction in order?

Yes definitely. Look up the definition.

 

15 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

Murdering occurs over the entire political scale,

just ask Khmer Rouge and KGB and Stalin and SS and Stasi and Rote Arme and Baader Meinhoff and Franco

and a bunch of others

But we are talking about Eire and Sinn Fein. Do you know what they stand for.

[Chomper Higgot]

15 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Yes definitely. Look up the definition.

 

But we are talking about Eire and Sinn Fein. Do you know what they stand for.

Since it was you that brought Brexit into the thread, perhaps you might understand ‘they want their country back’.

[RuamRudy]

20 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Yes definitely. Look up the definition.

 

But we are talking about Eire and Sinn Fein. Do you know what they stand for

This is where they stand:

 

https://www.politicalcompass.org/ireland2020

 

 

[evadgib]

49 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

52 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

And the DUP is a front for loyalist terrorists. What is your point? 

 

That the young don't remember the Troubles is a good thing because it means that those dark days are behind us. The IRA was created by those who experienced first hand the treatment of Ireland and the Irish by the British.

 

The current youth are the future of Ireland - better they view the world with aspirations of unbound greatness rather than being burdened by the sins of their and our fathers. 

 

The current youth think Harry's Game was the 2008 FA Cup final or the Duke of Sussexes latest stunt.

[RuamRudy]

1 minute ago, evadgib said:

The current youth think Harry's Game was the 2008 FA Cup final or the Duke of Sussexes latest stunt.

Isn't it better that they think that than continue to fuel hatred and mistrust due to events that they had no hand in? I am not suggesting that they should be ignorant of the past, but they shouldn't let it define their present. 

[evadgib]

6 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Isn't it better that they think that than continue to fuel hatred and mistrust due to events that they had no hand in? I am not suggesting that they should be ignorant of the past, but they shouldn't let it define their present. 

A bomb on a lorry that was supposed to take out a car ferry (to SCOTLAND) was defused last week ????

[Laughing Gravy]

15 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

This is where they stand:

 

https://www.politicalcompass.org/ireland2020

 

 

"SF’s strategy shares traits with that of Europe’s far-right parties"

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/sinn-féin-s-rhetoric-is-dangerous-and-its-exclusion-from-power-is-justified-1.4164037?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fsinn-f%C3%A9in-s-rhetoric-is-dangerous-and-its-exclusion-from-power-is-justified-1.4164037

 

 

[Somtamnication]

Always a believer on an eye for an eye. Get rid of the exact numbers of SF that SF and their cohorts killed innocent civilians during "the troubles" and I will support it.

[Chomper Higgot]

6 minutes ago, evadgib said:

A bomb on a lorry that was supposed to take out a car ferry (to SCOTLAND) was defused last week ????

You could provide a link but doing so would demonstrate that the bomb had absolutely nothing to do with Sinn Fein.

[KC 71]

Thera are 2 Sides to every story.

[Brigand]

The spread of nationalism all over the world does not bode well and all those that fail to understand any history and blissfully think of neo-fantasy land suddenly coming about if we be hard nationalists will just end up repeating easily avoidable problems. Before this turns into yet another British bashing thread, then I'd say that most of your average UK population would have little problem with a united Ireland if they so wished to go that way and the UK government (one of the only ones in the world to do this) has repeatedly said that territories can have a vote (just not a repeated vote till you get the right answer nonsense). The problem for SF is to convince those in Northern Ireland to go that way and that will take some doing. The boat has sailed on this issue for any government to bring about a solution as there are too many actors on both sides that will disagree whatever is presented ... can only be decided by a vote. Problem is, with votes you don't always get the answer you want and these days you should be careful what you ask the average person on the street regarding what they think as you might not like the answer ... as has been amply proven with referendums (even elections) delivering shock results. I am not really a fan of SF as their roots go deep into dark places and I don't believe they have truly shaken off their demons just yet.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Brigand
Typos

[Salerno]

20 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Always a believer on an eye for an eye. Get rid of the exact numbers of SF that SF and their cohorts killed innocent civilians during "the troubles" and I will support it.

That's one way to ensure continued peace 

 

16 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You could provide a link but doing so would demonstrate that the bomb had absolutely nothing to do with Sinn Fein.

Depends whether or not you believe CIRA has ties to Sinn Fein or not. 

[Bluespunk]

Lot of project fear rhetoric being spread by the brexiteers over the Irish people expressing their electoral preferences.

When will they learn that the english have no say in how the citizens of Eire govern themselves?

Edited February 10, 2020 by Bluespunk

[vogie]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Since it was you that brought Brexit into the thread, perhaps you might understand ‘they want their country back’.

I have a little problem with that post Chomper, what do you mean by "want their country back" are you suggesting that they kick the unionists out of NI, or are you saying that the NI should come under the rule of the indigenous Irish, if so should the same reasoning be attached to the likes of the USA and Australia.

[canopus1969]

Sinn Fein supporters were led in a chorus of the Irish rebel song "Come Out Ye Black and Tans"

 

This sums up their feelings now, and in the future  ????

[Chomper Higgot]

23 minutes ago, vogie said:

I have a little problem with that post Chomper, what do you mean by "want their country back" are you suggesting that they kick the unionists out of NI, or are you saying that the NI should come under the rule of the indigenous Irish, if so should the same reasoning be attached to the likes of the USA and Australia.

The problem you have, and have described, is an extrapolation of your own making.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Sinn Fein supporters were led in a chorus of the Irish rebel song "Come Out Ye Black and Tans"

 

This sums up their feelings now, and in the future  ????

Yup, they like singing songs.

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You could provide a link but doing so would demonstrate that the bomb had absolutely nothing to do with Sinn Fein.

Yet they're on speed dial when things go wrong..

[vogie]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The problem you have, and have described, is an extrapolation of your own making.

What do you mean "want their country back" easy question, difficult answer?

[evadgib]

38 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Lot of project fear rhetoric being spread by the brexiteers over the Irish people expressing their electoral preferences.

When will they learn that the English have no say in how the citizens of eire govern themselves?

Care to point any out? I seem to have missed it & BTW we (entire British electorate) are all Brrrrexiters since 31 Jan, including the oh so hard rejoiners who have yet to get over it.

[evadgib]

29 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The problem you have, and have described, is an extrapolation of your own making.

How exactly have you managed to separated yourself?

Edited February 10, 2020 by evadgib

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

That the young don't remember the Troubles is a good thing because it means that those dark days are behind us. The IRA was created by those who experienced first hand the treatment of Ireland and the Irish by the British. 

You have to appreciate that there is a certain section of the UK population that are more than happy to suffer from selective memory loss.

If taking back control works for some, why not for all. There were 66 countries around the globe dominated by the English, so far 63.5 have managed to take back control.

[Bluespunk]

8 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Care to point any out? I seem to have missed it & BTW we (entire British electorate) are all Brrrrexiters since 31 Jan, including the oh so hard rejoiners who have yet to get over it.

The false link to a car bomb last week. The use of language designed to denigrate the party that was central to the peace talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement. 
 

Yep, brexiteers committed brexicide and took everyone with them. Doesn’t make the innocent victims of their actions brexiteers though...

Edited February 10, 2020 by Bluespunk