Gerry's moving south...

[Maguire01]

14 November 2010
Gerry Adams 'to run for seat in Irish parliament'

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is expected to announce later that he intends running for the Irish parliament in the next election.

He is likely to resign from the Northern Ireland Assembly but retain his West Belfast seat at Westminster.

His decision to run for a seat in the Dail would mark a significant change in strategy by the Sinn Fein leader, says BBC correspondent Mark Simpson.

He has always concentrated on electoral politics north of the border.

Mr Adams has led his party at Stormont since power-sharing began 10 years ago.

The Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, must call a general election before July 2012 and it is thought the election may happen next year.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

Mark Simpson

BBC Ireland Correspondent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the peace process has settled down in recent years, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has often looked bored.

There is no longer a new political crisis every week in Belfast. As a result, Mr Adams has a reduced workload and a much lower profile.

That may not be the main reason he has decided to run for the Irish parliament, but it may well be a factor.

While his right-hand man Martin McGuinness has become the face of Sinn Fein at Stormont, as Deputy First Minister, Mr Adams has had a peripheral role.

He spends a lot of time south of the border, but as an unelected politician he is effectively shouting from the sidelines.

At 62, he has decided to try to re-invent himself. If elected he would try to lead a surge in support for Sinn Fein in the south.

If he loses, it could spell the end of his long political career.
An obvious seat for 62-year-old Mr Adams to attempt to win would be in County Louth, just across the border from Northern Ireland.

Louth is currently represented by Sinn Fein's Arthur Morgan, who has said he plans to step down at the next election.

Mr Adams is due to deliver the keynote address at the Edentubber Commemoration in County Louth later.

In a brief statement issued on Saturday night, the party promised a "significant" speech from its leader at the commemoration.

Sinn Fein has five MPs, including Mr Adams, and four TDs in the Irish parliament.

There is no modern precedent for a politician to seek election to both Westminster, where Mr Adams represents West Belfast, and the Dail.

Mr Morgan was elected to Louth County Council in 1999, before taking the seat in the Dail at the 2002 general election, and retaining it five years later.

Last week he announced he would be stepping down at the next election to concentrate on his business. He said the party leadership had accepted his decision.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11751856

Panic over, economy sorted.
But can you really represent two constituencies?

[spanner]

Well, Stormont is just a stone's throw (pardon the pun) from West Belfast and he couldn't be arrsed to go there too often.
I can't see him routinely making the long trek to Dublin, especially in the cold winter months.

Mind you, I bet he'll make sure he collects his wages and expenses to the max., as he still does at Westminster.

[dodgy umpire]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

[Tony Baloney]

I'm sure it will work out well.

[spanner]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

Was it not Co. Louth that Gerry's brother Liam was parachuted into all those years ago.  And looks what's happening to him.

[ziggysego]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

Was it not Co. Louth that Gerry's brother Liam was parachuted into all those years ago.  And looks what's happening to him.

I'm not sure what the connection is you're trying to draw here.

[spanner]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

Was it not Co. Louth that Gerry's brother Liam was parachuted into all those years ago.  And looks what's happening to him.

I'm not sure what the connection is you're trying to draw here.

The connection is the word "parachuted".

[dodgy umpire]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

Was it not Co. Louth that Gerry's brother Liam was parachuted into all those years ago.  And looks what's happening to him.

I'm not sure what the connection is you're trying to draw here.

The connection is the word "parachuted".

WUM

[spanner]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

Was it not Co. Louth that Gerry's brother Liam was parachuted into all those years ago.  And looks what's happening to him.

I'm not sure what the connection is you're trying to draw here.

The connection is the word "parachuted".

WUM

HOF

[Maguire01]

While the positives for Sinn Fein were he to be elected are obvious, how will grass root members in louth feel about him being parachuted in? Was there another obvious local choice after Morgan?

I'd imagine Morgan's departure was well planned to facilitate this - otherwise its very convenient. Maybe Arthur was told to give capitalism another go?

[haranguerer]

Well, Stormont is just a stone's throw (pardon the pun) from West Belfast and he couldn't be arrsed to go there too often.
I can't see him routinely making the long trek to Dublin, especially in the cold winter months.

Mind you, I bet he'll make sure he collects his wages and expenses to the max., as he still does at Westminster.

Sure about that?

[haranguerer]

A bit insensitive to choose Louth as a constituency.

What? 

[mylestheslasher]

Bad bad idea!

[pintsofguinness]

Could backfire horribly

[Minder]

It's a strange one, why would you want to spend less time with your family at his age?