In the June 2017 United Kingdom General Election both the SDLP and Sinn Fein contested all eighteen constituencies in the North of Ireland. The electorate had a clear appreciation of the records of both parties and of their intentions. The SDLP promised that their candidates would, if elected, sit on the Commons benches and Sinn Fein promised that their candidates, if elected, would not sit on them. In the event, none of the SDLP candidates were chosen by the voters, whilst seven Sinn Fein candidates were chosen by the voters to represent their wishes by not sitting on the Commons benches.
One hundred years back, in July 1917, the voters of East Clare had the choice of candidates, one of whom, Patrick Lynch, Kings Counsel, stood for John Redmond’s Irish Party. Lynch intended , if elected , to sit in the Commons. Against him stood a candidate, just released from gaol where he had spent sixteen months following his fighting in the Easter Rising. This candidate wore the uniform of the Irish Volunteer Insurgents, and promised, if elected, not to take his seat in the Commons. His name was Eamon de Valera, and he won by a large margin.
The defeated Patrick Lynch, on 14 July 1917,wrote to Britain’s Irish Secretary, Edward DUKE that “the country was passing through a period of excitement which will not last”.
That same day, Ivor Churchill, Lord Wimbourne, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, wrote to the British Cabinet – “The Sinn Fein victory in East Clare is a fact of cardinal significance…. it marks the definite failure of the policy to rehabilitate constitutional nationalism or disarm Sinn Fein defiance to English rule. After making all deductions for local influence and the general revolt against the Redmondite party machine, the fact remains that in a remarkably well conducted political contest sustained by excellent candidates on both sides, the electors on a singularly frank issue of self-government within the Empire versus an independent Irish Republic have pronounced for the latter.”.
Both letters are State Papers* released in 1967, a full fifty years after they were written. Clare elected de Valera in every election from July 1917 to March 1957 and he led ten Irish Cabinets, two as leader of Sinn Fein, and eight as leader of Fianna Fáil. Leaving the Cabinet in 1959, de Valera was immediately elected President, and was in the second year of his second seven year term as President, when the Lord Lieutenant’s report was dis-embargoed. Ivor Churchill , Lord Wimbourne was long forgotten by 1967. Patrick Lynch, KC, the vanquished East Clare candidate, was appointed, by Eamon de Valera, as Ireland’s Attorney General during the 1930s.
Fianna Fail’s current leader Micheal Martin urges Sinn Fein to take seats in Westminster in the teeth of their mandate. Could it be possible that he has never heard of Eamon de Valera, or Sinn Fein’s founder, Arthur Griffith? Former Ambassador Sean Donlon, whom nobody would imagine is ignorant, also calls for Sinn Fein to dishonour its promises. Does he expect the party to ritually disembowel itself for his amusement?
SF absenteeism policy only has credibility now on ideological grounds, rather than the pre election argument of John O’Dowd, Jude etc that’s it pointless sending representatives to Westminster as they don’t do anything anyway.
This General election, the DUP getting £1 billion and the fact that they are the kingmakers and will be effectively running NI (with the Tories through their working committee) if direct rule is implemented shows quite clearly the tangible benefits of taking their seats.
Could you explain how things would be different,now, if SF had taken their seats? Remember,too, that according to Catholic teaching it is a mortal sin to take an oath that you do not intend to keep.
They’d be different because the government would have a tiny majority leaving open the likelihood of it collapsing before its 5 year term is over.
Is .murder not a mortal sin in Catholic teaching?
Well Fiosrach the CON/DUP majority would be a hell of a lot slimmer i.e in tight votes it would’ve only took a couple of rebel Tory backbenchers to win a vote in parliament.
Also there was (and still is) a very real possibility that in a not to distant election we could have another hung parliament and the 7 SF representatives could put Labour into power. I wouldn’t be particularly happy about that, but I imagine yourself and many other Republicans would see that as a positive.
As for the whole Catholic and oath thing I’m astounded. I didn’t realise SF are a theocratic party?
It’s not the responsibility of the Irish to save the British from themselves.
Can you name any other parliament in the world where elected representatives do not take their seats? Got to be quite embarrassing for the the British establishment to be so repudiated. Not to mention galling for Unionism to watch the tide of green convert loyal oath taking constituencies to absententionists that repudiate any sovereignty the British state claims over those parts of Ireland the electorate has liberated.
The gnashing of teeth, rending of garments and hair is audible across the Atlantic. When the boundary changes go through and there are 9 absentionists elected versus 8 Unionist, that sound will be dialed up to 11 😀 Good times!
Abstentionism is supposed to be a bloody nose to the Tories.
But, in reality, it lets them off the hook.
Are there no Catholics in the Labour or Conservative parties? Does a Catholic cease being a Catholic when he joins SF? All I can see is “the real possibility” and “leaving open the likelihood” but I don’t see what difference it would have made. All the Scottish Tories could die from food poisoning but then again they may not. Murðer is indeed a sin in Catholic teaching unless it has the imprimatur of a lying government or it’s usins doing the killing.
Was there not a recent poll of SF voters showing strong support for abstentionism?
Fair enough I suppose, their supporters are behind it.
I can understand their difficulties with the oath but on the other hand if they had taken their seats the whole Con/DUP thing would have been so precarious it might never have come to anything at all.
It is unfortunate that with no voice in Westminster and no voice in Stormont the nationalist voters are effectively silent in influencing budgets or legislation and look like remaining silent for the short to medium term at least.
Yes the Con/DUP partnership will probably not last very long but meanwhile who will represent nationalist/republican voters?
vrooom vroom love the wee whellie button LOL
eh?
Gio , your concern for the poor nationalist/republican voter , unrepresented in that cesspit called Westminster , is admirable but unnecessary. The difference is we’re not British , have no affinity nor empathy with or for Britain and only want self governance in our own country ( without meddling or interference by a less than friendly neighbour ) You’d have to walk a long time in our shoes to understand what almost 900 years of despotic rule feels like and believe me we won’t rest until we achieve our objectives….all of them. In the meantime the skanky alliance between the flat-earthers and the Janus-faced Tories is a mere flash in the pan ….The DUP have momentarily but fleetingly reached their zenith . there is only one way for them now and that’s down !
Eolach
That is just flimflam. The fact is with no voice in either Stormont or Westminster there is no one speaking for nationalists in regard to legislation or how budgets are spent.
Do you agree or disagree?
You really are naive if you believe that one single English or British. MP gives a hoot about here.They were quite happy and complacent with Unionist misrule for 50 years and when the ordinary 5/8 across the water finds out the cost of the block grant they’ll happily ditch their loyal British cousins here. The ongoing charade with the DUP and the wicked stepmother is a pantomime that’ll soon run its course. The DUP need Stormont more than we do …..and before you become your usual pedantic self, it’s immaterial whether i agree or not….nothing earth shattering is going to happen …we can wait , we’ve plenty of practice …900 years , and time is on our side !
Eolach
At the moment SF need Stormont more than the DUP The longer it is on hold the further RHI recedes into the distance.
Nothing earth shattering may happen indeed but you are arrogant to dismiss the work done by the devolved administration here which is now not being done. And by the way a lot of that work was done by SF ministers whose contribution you now dismiss as of no importance.
Maybe direct rule will be no worse or even better; I honestly don’t know, but one thing for sure SF will have no say in it and the DUP will have the ear of the government.
Ultimately that attitude is simply disrespect for NI’s place in the UK, for the GFA and for unionists.
Surprised you could even spell that word ,Tam….respect in not normally a word in any Unionists vocabulary ( unless they are unilaterally demanding it for themselves ) and before you reply with meaningless platitudes the roles have been reversed and we basically don’t care anymore. When Unionism comes back with genuine equality and courtesy then , perhaps we can move forward.
Refusing to take seats because of an oath is childish.
Yeah,like refusing to say “Northern Ireland”. Nationalists look so much more childish when you compare them to the unionist grown ups,don’t they?
How is it childish?
Like a child cutting off his nose to spite his face.
Standing on principle over something that nobody else cares about and which doesn’t matter.
Tam,”standing on a principle over that nobody else cares about…..”
Seven MPs and the massive vote they got, well they all care!
Why? Nobody else does.
Total self-important nonsense.
Your still not convincing me how not taking seats is childish. I ask again – how is it childish?
Tam doesn’t do intellectual argument so I wouldn’t waste my time asking for anything based on logic.
Is not time we started to think outside of the box ? There has never been a time when republican and nationalists have unilaterally agreed on anything: that is a weakness.
Politics is the art of persuasion. We can stay here and squabble all we like, which will suit England just fine. Or, go to the big house, and use that platform to persuade the english people that their government has no right to be in our country.
No way that,s mine and i know a lot of other votes going back into hibernation. Lets just keep on greening the north east and be patient.
Republicans who do not take seats in Westminster are not being childish nor stubborn. They stand by what they believe, in that giving succour to an English monarch, is in their eyes, going against all that they believe in. I wouldn’t expect a Unionist representative to give allegiance to the Irish President either. Sinn Féin stood in the election on an abstentionist mandate, and were elected on that mandate. To go against it, would be cutting off their noses to spite their electorate. It is not going to happen. So, to all you people who are ridiculing them, get used to it.
Gerry says that the refusal to attend Westminster isnt anything to do with.the Oath, it’s about Sovereignty.
Which is sort of strange, because the GFA has parked that issue up for the last 19.years.
Or what ?
SF accepted the sovereignty of the UK Parliament over NI 19 years ago. There’s no principle involved. It’s nonsense.
Tam, Unionism accepted a united Ireland 7 years ago. The Unionists accepted sovereignty of the Irish government over 50 years ago. No Principal involved at all, they just couldn’t be bothered travelling. Tam’s world is a happy place.
I don’t understand what you’re referring to. Unionism accepted a united Ireland in 2012? Can you explain? And sovereignty of the Irish government in the 1960s?
Sweet Jesus….. cant count either.
Tam. I’m in your world now, so I won’t answer. But I’ll give you a clue- look up the word sovereignty.
Or what ?
That comment was meant to be above yours huge Celtic.
Hugh Celt* I do apologise.
No problem bud.
Irish people and in particular SF would be a bit hypocritical if they involved themselves in British political affairs considering their raison d’etre is to rid the British from Irish affairs.
Then why do Scottish Nationalists take their seats in Westminster Michael? Are they being hypocritical?
Perhaps they simply see the benefits of fighting for their cause from within the system, instead of simply screaming with no voice from the outside of it.
Scotland was a willing participant in the Union (Act of Union 1707). Ireland was not, Ireland was colonised!.
Seriously, do Unionists not read history at all?
That doesn’t alter the factual position today.
And how do you know if either Scotland or Ireland willingly joined the Union? Both decisions were made by parliamentary elites.
Dr. H. it is unhistorical nonsense to suggest that Scots were in favour of the union. It was facilitated through graft and bribery by “a parcel of rogues” ‘bought and sold for English gold’. (Burns). The English spy Defoe reckoned that 99 out of 100 Scots opposed the Union.
The Scots nationalists are British and are entitled to involve themselves in British affairs. We,Irish nationalists, have no desire to do that.
I can’t believe that needed explained fiosrach.
I guess I was wrong.
We are British to Fiosrach says that right there on my passport.
Saying that the the point is Scots nationals want exactly what the Irish nationals want. No more involvement from Westminster in Scottish affairs yet they still see the benefits of going to Westminster to fight that cause.
I think you’ll find it says Britain and the United Kingdom on the front of said passport.
Britain is that big island to the east of here.
You’ll also find that for many, many people here, including I would say all SF members it says Eire on the front of their passports.
That’s because Eire is the official name of the 26 counties.
I think Scott is referring to the term ‘British citizen’.
It’s still on the front of their passports.
Your point makes no sense in relation to what we speak off.
I’m afraid I don’t understand your point. So what if it’s on the front of their passports?
Irish nationalists in NI are also entitled to involve themselves in British affairs.
Irish Unionists are also entitled to involve themselves in Irish affairs.
I was very careful to say “Irish nationalists” and funny enough it says Irish on my passport. What they do on the neighbouring(and I use that word loosely) island is their business unless it unfortunately affects us in Ireland.
Would Brexit have happened if Nigel Farage (of whom I am no fan) hadn’t went into the belly of the beast?
I doubt it.
Nigel Farage stood for Westminster on 7 or 8 occasions. He failed to be elected on every single one of those occasions.
In fact, his party, UKIP, had one elected rep – someone who crosssed over from the Tories. If you are giving him the “credit” for Brexit, then it was achieved without Westminster influence, huge.
Id suggest the “belly of the beast” in Farage’s case is the European Parliament, an institution that he never hesitated to belittle, expose, usurp and milk relentlessly.
And then finally defeated.
The comparisons, and lessons, with Sinn Fein’s Abstentionism are there for anyone who chooses to see.