Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Rossfan]

I suspect most Prods up North would share your view too.

[sid waddell]

A lot of Sinn Fein's new support in the Republic is young, urban and woke

And female, and very pro-choice

Seems a lot of the Shinners here have a big problem with this

They're going to have to get used to it, because either this support exerts a dominant influence on the party in terms of making it radically pro-choice, or they will desert them en masse

Aontu has little future because the far right are already all over it like flies on shit

[general_lee]

A lot of Sinn Fein's new support in the Republic is young, urban and woke

And female, and very pro-choice

Seems a lot of the Shinners here have a big problem with this

They're going to have to get used to it, because either this support exerts a dominant influence on the party in terms of making it radically pro-choice, or they will desert them en masse

Aontu has little future because the far right are already all over it like flies on shit

You could say the exact same about SF's support in the north. I don't believe your assertion that they will lose traditional support, that's wishful thinking.

[sid waddell]

A lot of Sinn Fein's new support in the Republic is young, urban and woke

And female, and very pro-choice

Seems a lot of the Shinners here have a big problem with this

They're going to have to get used to it, because either this support exerts a dominant influence on the party in terms of making it radically pro-choice, or they will desert them en masse

Aontu has little future because the far right are already all over it like flies on shit

You could say the exact same about SF's support in the north. I don't believe your assertion that they will lose traditional support, that's wishful thinking.

Sinn Fein's support on this forum seems "traditional", it seems pretty conservative, quite right-wing actually

And my strong impression is that there's also a deep dissatisfaction with the party there among these posters

They have little in common with the new woke SF supporters in the south

This is a reckoning coming down the tracks for the party

It is going to have to decide what it is

SF cannot gain power by reverting to appealing to just the "traditional" Ra heads and nationalist Catholic anti-abortion types

It has to portray itself as woke to win the middle ground, and hope that the Catholic nationalist fundies stick with them out of inertia

[imtommygunn]

Honestly that guy is a bullshitter. I would be in favour of the sdlp generally but they need to ditch that guy as a leader. They will go nowhere with him.

Nicola seems to project a level of competence sadly lacking in a lot of politicians in the North and Colum is one of those. Too keen on getting a sound bite out.

He would be better getting someone to administer his Twitter account. Mallon, to me, is their best.

I know a guy, and a family, who would probably be in the diehard republican territory and SF have lost him, and presumably them, over the abortion stance. I definitely think they have lost some support over it.

[RedHand88]

A lot of Sinn Fein's new support in the Republic is young, urban and woke

And female, and very pro-choice

Seems a lot of the Shinners here have a big problem with this

They're going to have to get used to it, because either this support exerts a dominant influence on the party in terms of making it radically pro-choice, or they will desert them en masse

Aontu has little future because the far right are already all over it like flies on shit

You could say the exact same about SF's support in the north. I don't believe your assertion that they will lose traditional support, that's wishful thinking.

Sinn Fein's support on this forum seems "traditional", it seems pretty conservative, quite right-wing actually

And my strong impression is that there's also a deep dissatisfaction with the party there among these posters

They have little in common with the new woke SF supporters in the south

This is a reckoning coming down the tracks for the party

It is going to have to decide what it is

SF cannot gain power by reverting to appealing to just the "traditional" Ra heads and nationalist Catholic anti-abortion types

It has to portray itself as woke to win the middle ground, and hope that the Catholic nationalist fundies stick with them out of inertia

Nail on the head.

[armaghniac]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think SF lost their way a bit on abortion in the 26 counties when they threw Peader Toibin out and others also.
SF could have put forward the view that they are primarily interested in uniting Ireland and that there might be some variation in opinion among their members on things like abortion. Tóibín was a good performer and sound on the national issue. Had they allows a conscience vote in the 26 counties then they would probably still have Tóibín and they could then have allowed a conscience vote in the 6 counties which might have made them look less like eejits.

[Itchy]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think SF lost their way a bit on abortion in the 26 counties when they threw Peader Toibin out and others also.
SF could have put forward the view that they are primarily interested in uniting Ireland and that there might be some variation in opinion among their members on things like abortion. Tóibín was a good performer and sound on the national issue. Had they allows a conscience vote in the 26 counties then they would probably still have Tóibín and they could then have allowed a conscience vote in the 6 counties which might have made them look less like eejits.

Uniting ireland alone will not put bread on the table in the south. No way they could take that approach

[armaghniac]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think SF lost their way a bit on abortion in the 26 counties when they threw Peader Toibin out and others also.
SF could have put forward the view that they are primarily interested in uniting Ireland and that there might be some variation in opinion among their members on things like abortion. Tóibín was a good performer and sound on the national issue. Had they allows a conscience vote in the 26 counties then they would probably still have Tóibín and they could then have allowed a conscience vote in the 6 counties which might have made them look less like eejits.

Uniting ireland alone will not put bread on the table in the south. No way they could take that approach

Abortion has nothing to do with putting bread on the table.
A UI will come about if the south has a successful economy, so conflict there.

[johnnycool]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think SF lost their way a bit on abortion in the 26 counties when they threw Peader Toibin out and others also.
SF could have put forward the view that they are primarily interested in uniting Ireland and that there might be some variation in opinion among their members on things like abortion. Tóibín was a good performer and sound on the national issue. Had they allows a conscience vote in the 26 counties then they would probably still have Tóibín and they could then have allowed a conscience vote in the 6 counties which might have made them look less like eejits.

Uniting ireland alone will not put bread on the table in the south. No way they could take that approach

Abortion has nothing to do with putting bread on the table.
A UI will come about if the south has a successful economy, so conflict there.

I'd suggest the South has a pretty decent economy in the round, unlike us in this basket case where some unionists believe the subvention from whitehall is something to be proud of.

[Itchy]

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think SF lost their way a bit on abortion in the 26 counties when they threw Peader Toibin out and others also.
SF could have put forward the view that they are primarily interested in uniting Ireland and that there might be some variation in opinion among their members on things like abortion. Tóibín was a good performer and sound on the national issue. Had they allows a conscience vote in the 26 counties then they would probably still have Tóibín and they could then have allowed a conscience vote in the 6 counties which might have made them look less like eejits.

Uniting ireland alone will not put bread on the table in the south. No way they could take that approach

Abortion has nothing to do with putting bread on the table.
A UI will come about if the south has a successful economy, so conflict there.

I am aware of that but you saying SF should tell people they are about a united ireland to rather extent that they have no opinion on other issues such as abortion is crazy. They'd be on less % than FF if they did that. SF tried that for decades down here and were peripheral. Insane to suggest they should do that.

[Rossfan]

SF were for the Abortion amendment/repeal to the Constitution in 2018.
They got around 10/11% of the vote in May 2019.
They got 24.8% in February 2020.
So fair to conclude their position on abortion had little to do with their new found popularity.

[Itchy]

SF were for the Abortion amendment/repeal to the Constitution in 2018.
They got around 10/11% of the vote in May 2019.
They got 24.8% in February 2020.
So fair to conclude their position on abortion had little to do with their new found popularity.

Never said it did

[sid waddell]

SF were for the Abortion amendment/repeal to the Constitution in 2018.
They got around 10/11% of the vote in May 2019.
They got 24.8% in February 2020.
So fair to conclude their position on abortion had little to do with their new found popularity.

I think I disagree with this

SF's position on the marriage referendum and the 8th Amendment were prerequisites for their rise in support

In and of themselves they may not have been key drivers of support in 2020, but had they not taken the positions they did on those issues, they would not have done anywhere near as well

These issues gave Sinn Fein an "in" with modern progressive Ireland - because they were so vocal and visible on these issues, they positioned themselves as a serious option for young, progressive, middle class college graduates and students

And these groups are a huge driver of social media campaigning - they are populated by people like Christine O'Mahony, who has since left the party because of Brian Stanley putting his foot in his e-mouth

Local and European elections are different from general elections

SF's new voters liked the Green Party, and many probably voted Green in 2019, but they did not see the Green Party as having the potential to lead a government

SF's rise in the 2020 campaign came from nowhere - they did not start the campaign well - the rise came after Varadkar and Martin did the first debate of the campaign one on one, with FF riding high on 32% in an early poll

The debate was a snoozefest and everybody under 40 took a collective gasp and thought to themselves "surely there must be an alternative to these"

Many looked around and settled on SF as the next largest party

[Armagh18]

SF fucked up on the abortion issue- whatever side you are on it's a totally personal one and the "emotive" language from both sides helps no one. Party should allow a vote of conscience. Anyway feel as though there are far bigger issues than abortion.

Personally find a lot of young leftie sf people on twitter almost as hard to listen to as unionists with their fecking pronouns and 46 genders.