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In the post count excitement of the election RG forgot to post this article which was published in this weeks Andersonstown News. Given the outcome and the emerging DUP/Tory arrangement/coalition it's still worth a read.
At the Count Centre on Thursday night
your
vote counts.
By
the time you get to read this the Westminster election could be over. You may
know the result. But as I write this column that's all before
us. It’s Wednesday morning. The sun is shining as Bill and I cross
the Glenshane Pass on the way to the Foyle constituency. It’s the last day of
the election campaign. Later today, after spending the morning with Elisha
McCallion, I will join Michelle Gildernew in Fermanagh South Tyrone. So far,
for Sinn Féin, it’s been a good election campaign. Having spent time in many of
the constituencies the mood is very positive. The activists are in great form.
The mass canvasses in north Belfast and south Down involving scores of people
have been hugely uplifting.
But
however good the political message; however bullish the candidates have been in
the debates; and however energised the canvas teams are, on election day it’s
all down to you the citizen marking your X beside your candidate and party of
choice. Thursday is your day. You will have the final say in who is
elected or not elected, and whether parties achieve success or failure. That’s
how it should be.
The
media and academic pundits – those who make a living from interpreting the
intention of voters and the statistics of elections – will be looking to see
how it compares with the Assembly election in March.
That
was a transformative election. Since the state was established in 1920
Unionists dominated local politics. The brazen use of gerrymandered
constituencies and the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of nationalists
ensured that unionists dominated politics in the Stormont Parliament or in
local councils.
Arriving at the Count on Thursday night
However, the March Assembly dramatically changed that. For the first time since partition the unionist political majority in a locally elected Assembly, which was intended to permanent, came to an end. The longer term demographic and political trend is for that to continue but how will it shape out when the votes are counted in the early hours of Friday morning? In March Sinn Féin came within 1,168 votes of over taking the DUP as the party with the largest vote. That was a huge psychological blow to the psyche of political unionism. That lesson was learned quickly by the DUP and their objective in this election has been to reverse that.
All
of the stops have been pulled out. The DUP and UUP agreed an electoral pact.
Having called for Arlene Foster’s resignation over the Renewable Heating
Initiative before Christmas the UUP did a quick flip flop. Now they are happy
to support the DUP leader. And not for the first time the endorsement of the
DUP and the UUP by the so-called Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) – in
essence the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando – means that those organisations are
now actively campaigning for those two parties.
Calls
for Arlene Foster to reject the endorsement were met with a stony silence. In
this election every vote counts and the DUP appear happy to embrace the support
of illegal unionist paramilitary organisations.
They
know that every vote will count. They know what needs to be done to re-
establish viable sustainable political institutions. They know that the gap
between the parties, and especially between Sinn Féin and the DUP, to achieve
this is significant. The issues which led to the collapse of the Executive and
political institutions are still there. And the Irish and British governments
have agreements they have yet to honour.
There is also the looming issue of
Brexit. Whether it it’s a Tory government or a Labour government that is
returned to power after the election both parties are committed to pursuing
Brexit. And Brexit will have a serious detrimental impact on the economy of
this island but especially of the North and the border counties. It is
already having a damaging effect on Irish jobs and businesses, in particular in
the agriculture and agrifood sectors.
The
aim of the Irish government and of the European Union in the time ahead should
be to prevent a land frontier between the European Union and Britain on the
island of Ireland. This can best be achieved if the North achieves designated
special status within the European Union. The Irish government should also have
a veto on any agreement reached between the European Union and the British
Government that does not include this position.
Designated
status is the best and only way to ensure that the entire island of Ireland
will remain within the European Union. It is an imaginative solution that
addresses the complexities of the problem. It does not affect the
constitutional status of the North. That will be changed only by a referendum.
Crucially,
it already enjoys substantial political support. Designated special status
within the European Union is the position endorsed by the Dáil. It is endorsed
by the majority of MLAs in the Assembly. It recognises that the people of the
North voted to remain part of European Union. It is a solution being advocated
by representatives of Border communities.
Designated
special status for the North within the European Union is about allowing all of
Ireland to remain in the Customs Union and the Single Market and under the
jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. It is about maintaining the
European Convention on Human Rights and it is about protecting the rights of
citizens in the North who have a right to Irish citizenship and, therefore, to
citizenship of the European Union. None of this is beyond our collective wisdom
or ability.
In
the short term however the focus of the next few weeks will be on political
talks to restore the Executive. Sinn Féin will enter that process in good heart
and with the desire to reach an agreement – irrespective of the outcome
of Thursday’s election. We all know what the issues are. Our
leader, Michelle O’Neill spelt it out well recently when she said: “We are for
an Executive that respects the rights of all citizens and operates with
integrity, an Executive that implements agreements”.
Speaking to Miriam at the Titanic Centre
For republicans the issue of a unity referendum is now firmly on the political agenda. We believe that such a referendum should be held within the next five years. We also believe that the political dynamic of recent years makes this issue an imperative and a winnable objective.
Next week will also see the election
of a new Taoiseach. Leo Varadkar will be the Fine Gael nominee. He will have a
keen interest in the northern election result. There will be another election
in the South, though no one knows exactly when. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
probably don't want it too soon but sometimes these things take on a life of
their own. So Sinn Féin has to be prepared.
Wherever you live on the island of
Ireland your vote counts. I hope you
use it wisely.
Waiting for the national broadcaster
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