The recent general election in Ireland left Sinn Fein frustrated. Unless the Fine Gael-Fianna Fail relationship implodes and Fianna Fail somersaults, leading it to entertain Sinn Fein as a coalition partner, the theme music for the next ard fheis could be from David Bowie as another Five Years on the opposition benches beckons.
Frustrated, but hardly surprised. The writing had been on the wall for quite some time, and it did not spell Ministerial Merc for Davy Cullinane. The incumbent government was not as unpopular as Rishi Sunak's Tory government had been, and for the past year Sinn Fein had not been hitting the high notes in popularity on the opposition benches as Starmer 's Labour had managed. Whether on its feet in the polling booth or slouched on the settee at home, feeling that moving the deckchairs around the Titanic was not something worth venturing out for on a dark November evening, the electorate decisively turned its nose up at what Sinn Fein was offering.
If first preference voters are a reliable guide, then the electorate was even less impressed by Sinn Fein's sales pitch, preferring what Fine Gael and Fianna Fail said on their respective tins. Even if Sinn Fein chooses to make the legitimate claim that neither of its rivals got a ringing endorsement from the electorate, the party is even more on the backfoot than it was in the 2020 election. Unlike then, this time around, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail voters knew exactly what type of coalition government their preferred party would enter into and voted for it anyway. The Sinn Fein mantra of change simply didn't compute. Even Gerry Hutch took to mocking the party when he too said he was looking for change but refused to describe what change he wanted.
Sinn Fein took to spinning the setback as some sort of great leap forward, pointing to its increase in seats which underscores its tendency to be “self-congratulatory in unwarranted moments” but overlooking that 'in 2020, it got 23.1% of the seats; this time, it got 22.4% of the seats.' The data is stark. 'It marks the first fall in support for Sinn Féin in 35 years, and the biggest drop in support for any party at this election.'
Paschal Donohoe pulled Mary Lou's pigtail by asking if Sinn Fein was the weakest opposition party in Europe given the success of other oppositions in France, Austria, Belgium and the UK. A bit unfair as Donohoe knows only too well. His government benefited from a considerable cash injection which other governments did not have at their disposal.
Perhaps Sinn Fein is reaping what it has sown. Tommy McKearney stated many years ago that Sinn Fein's bottom line is that it has no bottom line. It now dresses up its centrist politics in Left discourse. But this leftist posturing was exposed in its splendid emptiness with Sinn Fein's calls on Fianna Fail not to keep Fine Gael in government but no calls on Fine Gael to evict Fianna Fail from government. After years of calling both parties Tweedledum and Tweedledee - nothing to choose between - the electorate might well have thought no point in voting Tweedleduh who after years of not being able to tell the difference between Fianna and Fine Gael suddenly discovered a difference so substantial that it would allow it to go into government with one party but not the other.
Frank Dane once quipped get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything. Gagging for government and willing to shaft anybody to get there seems to have drawn fools to the party but not to the voting booth.
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They want Shinners in power in the North but will do anything in their power to keep them out of the Dail. And what the fuck is Sinn Fein's position on anything? Seems to shift pretty quick when expediency requires it. When i comes to a border vote why the fuck would FF/FG vote to have a bunch of troublesome Nordies, and mainly Shinners(!) never mind the Prods upsetting their hegemony?
ReplyDeleteThe problem for the electorate in the Republic was that there was no credible alternative government. Sinn Fein has operated to its own agenda, mouthing what it thinks the people want to hear, while failing abysmally to show that it is a real left-wing party.
ReplyDeleteThis piece by Newton Emerson in the Irish Times shows that power-sharing in the North still means "There is your share of power, here is ours. You look after your lot and we will look after ours". Tamany Hall is aliveand well and living in Stormont.
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024/12/12/why-are-unionist-politicians-shy-of-challenging-loyalism/