Sinn Féin suitable for government?

Perhaps not in the next decade, but in future elections, Sinn Féin are likely to hold the balance of power, with the question of their maturity for coalition coming to the fore. The first action they'll need to take is a change of leadership, with Adams and McGuinness seen as largely ignorant of the main issues in Southern politics, to give new blood untainted by the Troubles, like Pearse Doherty and Jonathan O'Brien the opportunity to make their mark. Also, rather than kneejerk euroscepticism, more measured policies will be required, such as developing closer relations with the other indebted countries, and calling for greater democracy in Brussels. Finally, to lance the boil of the Troubles, they should make a formal apology for all IRA acts committed, something even the newer generation like Toireasa Ferris appear to find too difficult at present.

Eh -yes! WE have had years of toxic Zanu-ff in power hadn't we? And if they are good enough to be elected in the north then why not here, or are our northern brethren a different bunch:rolleyes:

I'm by no means an expert on current Sinn Féin policy, but certain condescending attitudes like those relating to the party and northern nationalists/republicans by association expressed in the opening post and prevalent in the south do tend to grate with me somewhat. My brother had two fellow Ireland fans (so they claimed to be anyway...) telling him northerners (y'know, them wans north of the border) weren't really Irish last week on Harcourt Street after the game. As for myself, I had a girl instructing her boyfriend in complete seriousness not to give me a light of a cigarette because I was a "nordie". Thankfully, I didn't actually have to resort to the rather desperate and ridiculous, "I may have a Derry accent but I was really born in Donegal, honest!" line; he wasn't as much of an idiot as she clearly was and he was decent enough to help a poor ******** in need. Anyhow, whilst maybe slightly depressing, I wasn't overly offended by what I'd experienced; I just thought of it as mostly kind of odd and puzzling. Some of the thoughts expressed in the opening post, I perceive as emanating from a similar school of thought. They're equally puzzling to me.

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Originally Posted by culloty82

Perhaps not in the next decade, but in future elections, Sinn Féin are likely to hold the balance of power, with the question of their maturity for coalition coming to the fore.

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If mature enough to work in Stormont with, of all people, the DUP, to whom they're ideologically opposed both in terms of the constitutional status of NI and issues of right and left, surely they're mature enough to work in government in Dublin, no?

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The first action they'll need to take is a change of leadership, with Adams and McGuinness seen as largely ignorant of the main issues in Southern politics, to give new blood untainted by the Troubles, like Pearse Doherty and Jonathan O'Brien the opportunity to make their mark.

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Perception and reality are two entirely different things. Adams topped the poll for election to the Dáil in Louth earlier this year with about 22% of the first preference votes cast there, so obviously somebody had confidence in him to deal with issues relevant to them. Likewise, McGuinness certainly didn't embarrass himself in the recent presidential campaign. To the contrary, he appeared more than capable of dealing with questions relating to southern issues directed at him and finished third in the overall running having attracted 13.7% of the first preference votes. As McGuinness also pointed out in one of the televised debates, being a Derry man, he's just as Irish as anyone else in Ireland, be they from Cork, Dublin or Galway. Would, say, an otherwise competent Fine Gael leadership candidate from Kerry be inherently any more up-to-speed on the local pressing issues in Leitrim than McGuinness would be, for example? Probably not - that's what local party representatives are for - but I couldn't envisage people questioning his competence as a leader over such a non-issue like they do when the question of Sinn Fein's competence for government arises in the south.

The Troubles are part and parcel of the island's history, but you speak of them like they're an infection that a certain category of people on the island from whom you quite clearly wish to distinguish yourself are unable to shake off. No point trying to ignore they happened, just as the 1916 Rising and War of Independence happened, but also worth acknowledging that they are now strictly history as far as Sinn Féin are concerned. Everyone has a history. Will Fianna Fáil ever be deemed fit enough by the electorate to run the country again in future? Probably. Unbelievably, over 500,000 voters backed Seán Gallagher in the presidential election! :confused: It's not as if Sinn Féin are stuck in a time-warp; they've moved forward with the peace process as much as anyone else. To be fair, they were key players and showed they were prepared for compromise.

As for Pearse Doherty, he's already a relatively high-profile member. I don't think it's as if the Sinn Féin leadership could be accused of trying to frustrate any possible progression of his to the top. To the contrary, from the limited amount I know about him, they appear to be providing him with plenty of paving and exposure. Isn't he often touted by party members and supporters as future leadership material?

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Finally, to lance the boil of the Troubles, they should make a formal apology for all IRA acts committed, something even the newer generation like Toireasa Ferris appear to find too difficult at present.

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I'm not sure what you mean by "the boil of the Troubles" exactly, but, arguably, Sinn Féin have already lanced it. Although the PIRA have apologised for the deaths of all non-combatants as a consequence of their campaigns, I can't see an apology for all PIRA activities being forthcoming. My understanding is that it is and always has been an issue of strategy over-riding, or at least directing/governing, any strict question of morality for Sinn Féin. An apology would be an admission of historical strategic error when the official line is quite obviously that "the struggle" occurred within what was viewed by Sinn Féin as a war situation and proved effective to a degree in drawing concessions from the British government, helped get Sinn Féin to where they are today along with a blueprint for a peaceful end to British control over NI and was therefore legitimate and justified in their eyes. I know southern establishmentarians don't like this moral conundrum, but rather than celebrate it annually, should the Irish state apologise to the British state for the 1916 Rising? :sarcastic:

As I mentioned to C-82 on another forum, Sinn Fein have already passed two of the 'suitability tests' (ie they've dissociated themselvles from paramilitarism, and concentrated on politics including contesting elections). Now all they need do is up their vote (a lot, to get the presidency gig but maybe less so for a balance of power in the Dail).

I'm not keen on an (inevitably extended) apology process; those events are in the past, we need to progress the process as it were. Anyway, a significant minority of unionists and Southern voters both simply won't take the 'apology' seriously.

Interesting points by DI as ever. Variously,

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Originally Posted by Danny Invincible

I'm by no means an expert on current Sinn Féin policy, but certain condescending attitudes like those relating to the party and northern nationalists/republicans by association expressed in the opening post and prevalent in the south do tend to grate with me somewhat

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Are they really that prevalent? If so, I feel yer pain. We have the same problem with our big brother ;)

Sinn Fein's policy- and the SDLP's- are straightforward enough, and will stay that way as long as both of them put 'A United Ireland' as number one in the policy priority list. Don't pretend it's in alpha order, Alasdair: I'd be more worried about that grimacing child you're trying to chat up in publicity photos. Even if not exactly 'foreign', they're single-issue lobbies that people will inevitably mistrust as potential government parties.

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My brother had two fellow Ireland fans (so they claimed to be anyway...) telling him northerners (y'know, them wans north of the border) weren't really Irish last week on Harcourt Street after the game

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Ha ha. I'd like to have eavesdropped on that er, constitutional criss. I have had the same problem when occasionally attending your games, although the last time both Irish fans and Liege locals complimented me on my excellent Franglais. Here I am posing with regular traveller Tommy '32 County' Feely:

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/z...omish/flag.jpg

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If mature enough to work in Stormont with, of all people, the DUP, to whom they're ideologically opposed both in terms of the constitutional status of NI and issues of right and left

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The left-right thing doesn't really apply to the big two in NI. DUP will quote socialist rhetoric all night to get more dough from Westminster; SF have a large rural conservative Catholic constituency.

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they've moved forward with the peace process as much as anyone else. To be fair, they were key players and showed they were prepared for compromise

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Good soundbite, but the name gives the game away. For the Shinners, it's a process(ion) because their interest is in it going on indefinitely, rather than ending with some messy deal and then being replaced by left-right politics. This open-endedness is theoretically because there's still an unredeemed fourth green field, but more prosaically it justifies NI having twice as many political hacks as twice as populous Wales...

PS to Benno- alas I can't make it to the Smoke, I'll be at a FA Vase game ;) But thanks for the info.

Sinn Fein are showing themselves to be the only effective opposition party in the Dail. No one can take seriously FF going off on one about Child Benefit, for example, as one year ago Barry’s Big Biffo Brother was in charge when FF did exactly the same cut. The sight of cone head losing the plot over leaks and press conferences is ridiculous. Whilst this circus is going on SF have produced their budget document, which even has right wing economic extremists like Gurdgiev praising them for it.

I'd expect them to be in Government with 10 years - a lot depends on how much any rise cannibalises the wider left of centre vote though.