No outcry over this? Does exclusion from the party beckon, or is this merely preparaing the way?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sinn-fein-member-first-to-address-parliament-2120506.html
Sinn Fein member first to address Parliament
By Oliver Wright, Whitehall Editor
Saturday, 30 October 2010
An Irish teenager made parliamentary history yesterday by becoming the first ever Sinn Fein member to cross the threshold and speak in the House of Commons.
Connor Morgan, 18, had been invited to Westminster as the representative for Co Derry in the UK Youth Parliament. The party has five MPs and the largest share of the vote in Northern Ireland, but no one from Sinn Fein has ever stepped foot in the chamber of the House of Commons.
Shortly after noon he stood at the dispatch box – in an unusually packed Commons chamber – and made the case for free higher education. But before he did so he made a second piece of history by addressing the chamber in Irish.
"It is a great honour to stand here before you and to have the opportunity to address you in Irish," he translated afterwards, having just been introduced by the Commons Speaker John Bercow, who was chairing the second ever meeting of the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) in the chamber.
Around 300 members of the Youth Parliament aged between 11 and 18 sat on the Commons' green benches during the meeting. MPs voted earlier this year to allow the UKYP to hold an annual sitting in the Commons for the remainder of the parliament, which is due to end in 2015.
Mr Morgan, from Maghera, who is studying politics at Leeds, spoke to oppose the proposed removal of the cap on university tuition fees.
"Students will be trapped beneath a crushing burden of debt up to £95,000," he said before adding, to cheers from the chamber: "We need to send a clear message to decision-makers that we matter."
Speaking afterwards, Mr Morgan insisted his Sinn Fein membership was "completely irrelevant" as members of the Youth Parliament do not have party loyalties.
"This event is not party political," he said. "I'm here today just for the young people of my area. I want to represent their views."
Sinn Fein's MPs do not take their seats in Westminster because they refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaKHn4sMLqY
A Tory take on the situation here - if nothing else, it shows the importance of knowing your privacy settings on Facebook!
http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/10/sinn-fein-member-of-uk-youth-parliament.html
Did he swear allegiance to the British Crown?
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 08:26:19 PM
Did he swear allegiance to the British Crown?
I dont think he had to with it being a Youth Parliament - from that article.
Quote from: Puckoon on November 02, 2010, 08:47:16 PM
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 08:26:19 PM
Did he swear allegiance to the British Crown?
I dont think he had to with it being a Youth Parliament - from that article.
No, he didn't have to.
Quote from: Maguire01 on November 02, 2010, 10:49:16 PM
Quote from: Puckoon on November 02, 2010, 08:47:16 PM
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 08:26:19 PM
Did he swear allegiance to the British Crown?
I dont think he had to with it being a Youth Parliament - from that article.
No, he didn't have to.
Then what would the uproar be for? Surely that's why Sinn Fein don't take their seats at Westminster, because the allegiance.
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 10:53:16 PM
Quote from: Maguire01 on November 02, 2010, 10:49:16 PM
Quote from: Puckoon on November 02, 2010, 08:47:16 PM
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 08:26:19 PM
Did he swear allegiance to the British Crown?
I dont think he had to with it being a Youth Parliament - from that article.
No, he didn't have to.
Then what would the uproar be for? Surely that's why Sinn Fein don't take their seats at Westminster, because the allegiance.
I think the official SF position is that they wouldn't take their seats even if the Oath was abolished. I'd doubt that the party even knew Mr Morgan was planning to attend Westminster never mind sanctioned it. Looks like a simple personal decision.
Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on November 02, 2010, 10:55:19 PM
I think the official SF position is that they wouldn't take their seats even if the Oath was abolished. I'd doubt that the party even knew Mr Morgan was planning to attend Westminster never mind sanctioned it. Looks like a simple personal decision.
Really? I always took it, that their stance was over the allegiance to the British Crown. Mind you, I've been wrong 100s of times in the pass about 100s of things. :D
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 10:57:29 PM
Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on November 02, 2010, 10:55:19 PM
I think the official SF position is that they wouldn't take their seats even if the Oath was abolished. I'd doubt that the party even knew Mr Morgan was planning to attend Westminster never mind sanctioned it. Looks like a simple personal decision.
Really? I always took it, that their stance was over the allegiance to the British Crown. Mind you, I've been wrong 100s of times in the pass about 100s of things. :D
According to Gerry, the oath is "a distraction".
http://sluggerotoole.com/2010/05/04/gerry-adams-its-not-about-the-oath/
Quote from: Maguire01 on November 02, 2010, 11:33:14 PM
Quote from: ziggysego on November 02, 2010, 10:57:29 PM
Quote from: TacadoirArdMhacha on November 02, 2010, 10:55:19 PM
I think the official SF position is that they wouldn't take their seats even if the Oath was abolished. I'd doubt that the party even knew Mr Morgan was planning to attend Westminster never mind sanctioned it. Looks like a simple personal decision.
Really? I always took it, that their stance was over the allegiance to the British Crown. Mind you, I've been wrong 100s of times in the pass about 100s of things. :D
According to Gerry, the oath is "a distraction".
http://sluggerotoole.com/2010/05/04/gerry-adams-its-not-about-the-oath/
Well then, proven wrong again ;)
What's the difference between sitting in Stormont & Westminster? After all, all legislation passed in Stormont still needs royal assent
Quote from: ardmhachaabu on November 02, 2010, 11:45:32 PM
What's the difference between sitting in Stormont & Westminster? After all, all legislation passed in Stormont still needs royal assent
Whats the point in sitting in Stormont?
You tell me. They are both funded by the British state.
Quote from: ardmhachaabu on November 02, 2010, 11:53:02 PM
You tell me. They are both funded by the British state.
I was asking you.
Is this a trick question? Have you got a point? Are you going to ignore my question and keep asking me the same thing?
Quote from: ardmhachaabu on November 02, 2010, 11:45:32 PM
What's the difference between sitting in Stormont & Westminster? After all, all legislation passed in Stormont still needs royal assent
If there is no difference between these two then they are the same and there is no need for these two. Do you agree? If you believe there is no difference between them (as I judge your question to be rhetorical) then why would anyone sit in stormont?
Zap, need to go to bed here so I will make this very brief. If I don't succeed in getting my point across, I will try again tomorrow.
Stormont is funded by the British state, as is Westminster. Royal assent is needed for any legislation from either. This is a genuine question by the way. I think the whole issue of abstentionism is an absolute nonsense. If they can sit in Stormont they could serve the people who elected them better by taking their seats, arguing for the needs of their constituents, arguing for funding for capital projects etc. By choosing not to take their seats they are making a mockery of parliamentary democracy. They say they believe in it, well it's time to practice what they supposedly believe in.
Please. Spare me the official line. I know it all too well.
Did Martin McGuinness not recently speak at the Tory party conference in England and that just as bad? Did I dream that?!!! yiks :-\ im not sure.
Quote from: longrunsthefox on November 03, 2010, 12:15:01 AM
Did Martin McGuinness not recently speak at the Tory party conference in England and that just as bad? Did I dream that?!!! yiks :-\ im not sure.
He did speak at it.