Public Affairs

Sinn Féin prepares for polls

martin mcguinness 2014 ard fheis Sinn Féin’s ard fheis marked the start of a busy electoral cycle which, it hopes, will take it into power in Dublin. Peter Cheney sums up the conference.

At a time when Sinn Féin is very much looking to the future, the past was not far away at this year’s ard fheis, whether in the comments of its members or the media commentary around the event.

Under the banner of ‘Putting Ireland First’ (Éireann Chun Chinn), Sinn Féin members gathered at Wexford Opera House on 7-8 February. The choice of venue was seen as insensitive by the family of Seamus Quaid, a local garda murdered by the IRA in 1981. His family had erected a plaque at the venue in his memory and asked for this to be removed before the conference took place.

Gerry Adams’ presidential address began with “solidarity greetings” to supporters of Sinn Féin, including John Downey “currently exiled in London and to the other OTRs [on the runs].” Downey was awaiting trial for the Hyde Park bombing.

His main thrust, though, was a pre-election dismissal of Labour and Fine Gael in government. “Our society has become increasingly polarised between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, ruled over by a government which is increasingly arrogant,” Adams stated. He ambitiously promised that “Sinn Féin will not make election promises that we cannot keep and Sinn Féin will keep every commitment that we make.”

Alongside austerity and cuts to public services, Adams alleged that many of Ireland’s problems were “a direct result of a toxic political culture, which arose from the counter-revolution that followed the 1916 Rising and the Tan War.”

Fianna Fáil will “never, ever again be the dominant force they once were” and he saw his party as being a “major player in both states on this island.”

Adams listed “difficult but positive choices” made by Sinn Féin in the Northern Ireland Executive, including the absence of water charges and prescription fees, capital investments and freezing student fees. Sinn Féin, though, also saw an Irish Language Act, bill of rights and the Maze centre as unfinished business at Stormont.

As expected, he paid a fulsome tribute to Nelson Mandela. Adams had been part of his funeral guard of honour along with his adviser, Richard McAuley. “Madiba’s qualities of leadership and peace-building are needed more than ever in the world today, particularly in the Middle East,” he remarked.

In conclusion, Adams stated: “Working together, we will rebuild this great nation. We shall overcome. So, let’s make 2014 the year of change.”

Commitment

Martin McGuinness’ address majored on a call for constructive politics from unionism.

“My commitment and the commitment of Sinn Féin to the process and to the institutions is absolute,” he stated. Civil society needed to make its voice heard: “No longer can your voices be drowned out by the rejectionists who have over the course of the past twelve months sought to use flags, parades and the past to undermine the progress made over the course of the past twenty years.”

gerry adams 2014 ard fheis His Irish identity was “no threat to those who identify themselves as British” and he pointed to the tolerance towards parading in Derry. He also praised Catherine Seeley, the Sinn Féin councillor who resigned from her job in North Belfast’s Boys Model School after loyalist intimidation.

Nigel Dodds, McGuinness said, “could learn a lot” from the “courage and leadership” shown by her pupils. Dodds was angered by his comments and responded: “The DUP are opposed to any violence or intimidation and unlike Mr McGuinness we have always held that view.”

Mary Lou McDonald, a potential successor for Adams, delivered a short, sharp rebuke of the Irish Government without reference to the North. “It is time for a change in direction,” she stated. “It is time for a government that stands up for its citizens, at home and abroad. It is time to put Ireland first and Sinn Féin is the party who will do that.”

Loyalty to Adams remains high. There was no public criticism within the party ranks over the scandal surrounding his brother Liam but the party will be aware that, at the age of 65, his presidency cannot go on for ever. Adams plans to lead the party into the 2016 elections but a change in leadership is possible in the next term. McDonald, Pearse Doherty and Conor Murphy have been mentioned by party sources as potential runners.

The 2011 general election brought Sinn Féin out of the fringes of southern politics and the ard fheis was a clear rallying point before the new electoral cycle. At the last European Parliament election, it polled 205,613 first preferences in the Republic and 126,184 in the North.

January’s Red C opinion poll after the bail-out put Sinn Féin on 18 per cent, Fianna Fáil on 22 per cent and Fine Gael on 28 per cent. Labour trailed at 10 per cent and is expected to suffer heavy losses.

Local government polls will help the party to plan ahead for the 2015 Westminster election and the 2016 Assembly and Dáil polls. The party’s ideal position would be to enter government in Dublin as well as Belfast, although overtaking Fianna Fáil or leading the Oireachtas’ opposition would also be counted as a historic victories.

Dissent over education policy

Sinn Féin allows its members considerable freedom to debate motions but strict discipline means that almost all votes are predictable. Out of the 176 motions, just two failed to be passed and another was referred to the Ard Comhairle.

One motion, from a Limerick cumann, called for the “secularisation of all publicly-funded schools” with families desiring a religious ethos paying “from their private funds or from donations.” The policy would obviously mean the end of Catholic maintained sector schools in the North and was rejected due to its political sensitivity.

A motion proposing a conscience vote on abortion was also rejected. It attracted support from rural branches, including several in Meath supporting rebel TD Peadar Tóibín. The referred motion covered suggestions for compensating residents living beside pipelines and pylons. The proposals imply state intervention and could deter pro-business voters.

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