South Down Westminister Election 2005
The general consensus that the seat held by Eddie McGrady in South Down since 1987 is one of the safer of the three currently held by the SDLP (Only Mark Durkan’s is probably more secure). In the last Westminster Election, McGrady secured nearly 47% of the vote and easily seen off the challenge of Sinn Féin’s Caitríona Ruane. However since 2005, things have changed a lot in South Down. Ruane is now a high-profile Minister, McGrady was undecided about his intentions to stand again and the vote of the SDLP went south.
In the 2007 Assembly Elections, the SDLP received 32.9% to Sinn Féin’s 32.2%. Admittedly, the rise of the Green Party eat into the SDLP vote. So it’s not as clear-cut as it once was. The recent election of McGrady protegé Margaret Ritchie to the leadership of the SDLP may bolster Eddie in the election, but he is still facing an uphill battle!
So why does he go and alienate a potential voter base in South Down and also a large number of people who were willing to canvass for him? His comments at the recent SDLP conference about Fianna Fáil certainly make it most difficult for the many new Fianna Fáil members in South Down who previously voted for Eddie and the members in North Louth who crossed the Mourne Mountains to canvass for him.
Prior to this weekend, I was going to ask people I know to go up North and help canvass for certain SDLP candidates such as Alasdair McDonnell (South Belfast), Justin McCamphill (East Antrim) and Eddie McGrady. Following his less than complimentary or as I prefer to call them, foolish and petty comments, I wont be going near South Down, I wont be asking any one I know to go and I am calling on Fianna Fáil members to ignore his campaign. A bit over the top you say? Perhaps, but I don’t take too kindly to people attacking my party and its intentions when we have done everything in the past to support the SDLP.
Over and Out!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 12 so far )What is McGrady on about?
Here is part of the speech given by South Down MP, Eddie McGrady at todays SDLP Conference in Newcastle, Co. Down:
Outside of Government we also face a new dimension, with the advent of Fianna Fail into the politics of Northern Ireland. This move came at a time when we in the SDLP were working with Fianna Fail discussing future initiatives and working together for the benefit of the community.
This move into Northern Ireland politics by Fianna Fail was seen by some to be welcome, others as unhelpful, and indeed in other quarters as endangering the process of achieving Irish Unity, an aspiration that can only be achieved by a genuine and evolutionary relationship of trust and respect between Nationalists and Unionists. This new move by Fianna Fail has perhaps added to the complexity of achieving this consensus.
I call on Fianna Fail to work in tandem with us to achieve this goal, as we continue to work with other parties.
I note that the bolding of the last nine is on the official SDLP transcripts so I think they are trying to emphasise some thing.
Eddie seems to be having a go at Fianna Fáil organising fora in various counties of the North and also the ongoing development of the Fianna Fáil Cumainn in Queens University Belfast and the University of Ulster. He perhaps thinks it’s a group of Southerners crossing the border and inflicting themselves on the people of the 6 counties. How wrong and out of touch is this man?
Let’s set the facts right. Fianna Fáil has set up Cumainn in the universities and fora in the counties out of a desire by people living in the North to have Fianna Fáil organise. These are local people who want Fianna Fáil. They have requested the party to do some thing and the membership of Fianna Fáil has voted to support this at our Ard Fheis. Eddie, perhaps if the SDLP were doing its job right, these people wouldn’t feel the need to join FF and ask us to organise up north?
Eddie is right. We have been working with the SDLP for years in trying to achieve consensus on Unity and I hope we will continue to do the same in the future but the wishes of the people of the north should be listened to. And if they want Fianna Fáil, nobody should hold back from working with them.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )Agreement over Policing and Justice…Phoney Democracy
So once again, the impasse has been worked through and the merry men and women of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive can carry on with their jobs…until the next impasse. Let’s be frank; there will be another issue that has the possibility to scupper the Executive and ultimately devolution.
While I’m at it. Yesterday’s Agreement is yet another death knell for Democracy in Northern Ireland. Mark Durkan MP today during his last Leaders Speech at the SDLP Conference remarked that “Changing the rules to deny a due outcome, to discriminate against a nationalist party and confer patronage and undue power on a pro-union party used to be called gerrymandering,” This is exactly what Sinn Féin have done last week. As per the D’Hondt system, the SDLP are next in line to the next Ministerial Position and not the Alliance Party. And let’s be clear – the Alliance Party are pro Union, they just wrap it up in warm, accommodating fuzzy langauge. Sinn Féin, the self anointed leaders of the Irish Republicanism have sold out the nationalists of Northern Ireland just to appease the DUP.
Don’t get me wrong, the devolution of Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly is a positive step, but the way it was achieved is both underhanded and indicative of Sinn Féin’s two-faced nature. The Irish Government has to take its share of the blame on this too. They as guardians of the Good Friday Agreement have a duty to see its ethos continued and reflected in the workings of the Assembly and Executive.
This is why, among other reasons I’m calling on Fianna Fáil to clearly define its policy for Unity. Unity is the endgame for all Nationalists and Republicans. The Good Friday Agreement gave us the breathing space to take about these issues in a civilised and non threatening way. Either we are Republicans or not. Unity must be the end point for our party. If not, its time to take the Republican Party tag off our logo!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )End Game…..any one know it?
For the Irish Government and in particular Fianna Fáil, what is the end game in terms of “Northern Ireland”? At present, both the Irish Government and the British Government are engaging in talks with the DUP and Sinn Féin about the devolution of Policing and Justice.(Why the SDLP and UUP arent being involved in beyond me but that’s for another time to debate? ) This is a good thing.
A few people have asked me over the past weeks, what is Fianna Fáil’s plan for Unity? How will the Republican Party bring about a unity of people and land? I couldn’t answer. Some one over on Slugger O’Toole said that the Good Friday Agreement has given us all some “breathing space”. That is all it has done. The recent shenanigans and possible alliances between the UUP, DUP and the Conservative Party has shown to us all that Unionists are still as opposed to a “Catholic about the place” as before. Don’t get me wrong – 2010 is far better than 2000 and 1990; but where are we on the road to unity? That’s still the goal, isn’t it?
All Republicans and Nationalists on the island who subscribe to totally democratic means need to work together on this issue. It’s more important than planting a tricolour over Stormont. It could be the catalyst for a new, stronger, more economically powerful island.
I want to know how my party is going to achieve Unity. I don’t want to hear that the GFA settles things. The GFA brought about an opportunity to talk with out the fear of bombs; and it gave the people of Northern Ireland and opportunity to realise that there are more things that unite them than separate them. However, it doesn’t bring about a roadmap to unity. That is the challenge that faces Fianna Fáil. We seem afraid to say it. We shouldn’t. All that we would be doing would be doing “what it says on the tin”.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )Can Fianna Fáil win the support of the Northern Electorate?
Barry Magee has recently written a very detailed analysis of the current statement in Northern Irish politics as a result of the entrenched views of SF and the DUP. He believes that FF coming North will be a positive thing for Irish Republicanism and our quest for unity. As he didnt look into the electoral impact such a move would have, I have attempted to do so in the following article. Before looking at what impact FF would have on the Northern electoral landscape, it is important to reflect on what has happened electorally since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. I have deliberately chosen to ignore the European and Local Elections as local issues and personal popularity can cloud the actual party support levels.
The SDLP was at the zenith of its popularity in 1997 / 1998. At the Westminster Election of 1997, it won 190,844 votes which gave them a 24.1% share of the vote in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin at the time won 126,961 votes and thus 16.1% of the vote. The total SDLP / SF vote was 317,765 or 40.2%.The next election in 1998 which following the signing of the Good Friday election saw the SDLP winning 177,963 votes and 21.97% of the vote. Sinn Féin proceeded to win 142,858 and 17.63%. The Total SDLP / SF vote was 320,821 or 39.6%. The first thing to notice at this time is the discrepancy between Westminster Elections and Assembly Elections where the SDLP did even better in Westminster Elections than Assembly Elections than Sinn Féin. I suspect that this is due to some Nationalist voters decided to vote SDLP because they would take their seats in Westminster.
As we passed the Millenium, Sinn Féin passed the SDLP out in terms of support. In the 2001 Westminster Election, Sinn Féin won 175,933 (21.7%) with the SDLP achieving 169,865 (25%). Worse was to come for the SDLP in the 2003 Assembly Elections where they saw a massive drop in their share of the vote. By 2003, a massive 60,416 former SDLP voters either didnt go to vote or voted for another party. It’s important to note that Sinn Féin’s vote only increased by 19,900. While obviously voter turnout played an important role in this discrepancy, it is clear that many SDLP stayed at home. The SDLP’s vote further eroded at the 2005 Westminster Election where they could only muster 125,626 votes (down 65,218 since 1997 or 44,239 since 2001).
At the last Assembly Elections in 2005, the SDLP received their lowest vote in 20 years. 105,162 turned up to the polls and cast a first preference vote for the SDLP. This gave them a 15.2% share of the vote in comparison to Sinn Féin’s 180,573 or 26.2%.
Overall, the SDLP vote has declined by roughly 6.85% or in terms of voters, 69,008. At the same time, the Sinn Féin vote has increased by 8.55% or 42,799 (averaging both Westminster and Assembly changes). Over the course of the past 3 Assembly Elections, the SDLP / Sinn Féin vote, while decreasing in terms of voters by 37,084 has increased in percentage terms by 1.8%. Like wise, the SDLP / Sinn Féin vote has increased by 1.93% in Westminster Elections. (* Increase in voters by 17,912). These anomalies are due to the splitting of the total Republican / Nationalist votes through the emergence of smaller parties / dissidents / local groups at Assembly Elections but who do not contest Westminster Elections. What is clear is that the SDLP are losing voters massively.
What is also clear is that Sinn Féin are not winning all of them to their cause. A significant proportion are choosing to stay at home and not vote altogether. What does this show us in Fianna Fáil? It shows us that there is a sizable proportion of former SDLP voters who cannot voter Sinn Féin. While not an election winning number of voters for Fianna Fáil, it is a base of supporters we should aim to garner to our cause.
There are also soft Sinn Féin voters i.e. those who stopped voting SDLP and switched their allegiance to Sinn Féin following that party’s democratisation programme. This is another group of voters, Fianna Fáil must look at winning to the cause. Add to these two groups of voters, we should also aim to win over those still voting SDLP today and also moderates in Sinn Féin, the UUP, the Green Party and the Alliance Party. How should the party position itself to maximise its electoral support?
Fianna Fáil is, and always will be a Republican Party. This should be and must continue to the be the party’s primary ideology. It will allow us to become the big tent party that we need to be to win in the North and to win again in the South. Charles Haughey once said at a Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in 1974, “We (Fianna Fáil) are neither masters of the left nor servants of the right, but pragmatists of the centre”. In 2009, this is as important as it was in 1974. We should do what we have always done – Look after those who need looking after and allow those who want to succeed to succeed. This means being pro enterprise and pro social justice. There is no paradox in adopting these two philosophies. Our Republicanism allows us to do this and I believe, demands that we do this.
In the North, we cannot allow Fianna Fáil to become another party caught up in the Tribal headcount. Yes, our initial support base will be Catholic / Republican but we can reach out and win new voters. People who previously voted UUP or Alliance. Those who are looking for a society that rewards those that work hard and supports those that fall on tough times. We have shown in the South that we are not afraid of dealing with Climate Change or environmental issues. We can rightly appeal to environmentalists for their support.
Our Time Is Now. We can achieve great success in the North. The support we need is there if we look for it with sincerity. We can make Unity happen far quicker than Sinn Féin ever can. Our former leaders have shown that they have the capacity to win the trust and friendship of the unionist community.
Our Time is Now. We must take the next step towards achieving the aim of every Irish Republican. Our Time in Now.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )Launch of Fermanagh Fianna Fáil Forum
The Official Launch of the Fermanagh Fianna Fáil Forum will take place this Sunday in the Westville Hotel, Enniskillen at 2:30pm. Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv TD and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD will be in attendance. Both Ministers Ahern and O Cuiv sit on the Fianna Fáil Northern Strategy committee.
This launch follows on from the highly successful launches recently of the South Down Fianna Fáil Forum and South Armagh Fianna Fáil Forum. A large crowd is expected.
Fermanagh could prove to be a highly lucrative area for Fianna Fáil. The SDLP vote has dropped considerably over the past years with Tommy Gallagher flying the flag. Tommy used to top the poll with over 8000 votes as well as a running mate getting roughly 2000 votes. He now receives about 4500 votes with his running mate on about 2000. Sinn Féin are also in trouble in Fermanagh & South Tyrone. One of their MLA’s elected in 2007 went Independent in late 2007. Gerry McHugh left Sinn Féin saying that it lacked democracy and was controlling of its members. The way is clear, in my opinion, for Fianna Fáil to win back many of the disillusioned moderate Republicans and give the SF – DUP axis a run for their money.
If you believe that Fianna Fáil should go North and compete electorally, join North2011 on Facebook, contact your local Fianna Fáil TD / Senator / Councillor or contact me at donnachamaguire@gmail.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Fianna Fáil – An All Ireland Party?
Picture the scene, April 2016…..Arbour Hill, Dublin 7
Uachtarán Fhianna Fáil and An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD is joined by Patsy McGlone MLA, Fianna Fáil Leader at Stormont. Here, they lay a wreath on behalf of all Irish people who fought and died for Irish Independence. While the names of those taking part may chanhe, the chance to see a FF Taoiseach and the leader of FF in Stormont standing side by side at Arbour Hill is a real possibility.
We are now a little over seven years away from the 100th Anniversary of what is generally accepted as the starting point for the modern Irish State – An Eirí Amach 1916. For those on the Republican side of Irish politics and by Republican, I mean all people who actively support a free, democratic and secular Irish State across the entire Island, this is a pivotal moment and a commemoration that still brings tears to many a persons eyes.
I’m going to look at the Fianna Fáil Stormont Leader and see how I believe it can come about. Before I do this, I think its important to look at what has happened in the past number of years and see what the exact position is in November 2009.
Ógra Fianna Fáil is now unequivocally an All Ireland youth group. Since 2006/2007, Ógra has been actively been recruiting members in the six counties, new cumainn have been set up in Queens University Belfast (Cumann William Drennan) and in University of Ulster (Cumann Watty Graham) The Senior Fianna Fáil leadership has now accepted this and have even gone further. Fianna Fáil fora have been set up or are about to be set up in South Armagh, South Down, Fermanagh and Antrim with the approval and blessing of the Leadership. Cynics will argue that these fora are nothing more than talking shops to keep Northern members happy. Perhaps that was the intention but remember this, once a stone starts rolling down a hill, it gathers momentum and the longer you leave it roll, the harder it will be to stop.
Having spoken to many Northern FF members over the past number of weeks, I can see the absolute determination and conviction they have with regard to this project. They will not settle for anything less than the right to vote FF in the north, to elect FF councillors and MLA’s and the chance to see FF in government in the North. Over the next 9 months, many important decisions will be made. While I have previously ruled out a merger with the SDLP, I still believe that what happens in that party has an effect on FF in the North. The current leadership battle between Alasdair McDonnell and Margaret Ritchie is not simply between pro FF and pro Labour forces. One cannot say that a victory for either will hold back or speed up Fianna Fáils move into 6 county politics. The real determining factor will be the Westminster Elections due for May 2010. I expect both Mark Durkan in Foyle and Alasdair McDonnell and Eddie McGrady in South Down. Apart from this, I cannot see any hope of an SDLP win bar West Tyrone. What Im trying to say is that the SDLP have retreated to their core areas. The joke has always been that the SDLP stood for the ‘South Down and Londonderry Party’ and unfortunately this seems to be becoming a reality. Young people north of the border are looking for a party that represents their ambitions and desires. They want a party that is supportive of Business endeavours but smart enough to realise that all people need a helping hand from time to time. Ógra currently has in excess of 250 people in Northern Ireland. While many are in university, some have already left and are now working. They yearn for party that can unite their Republican ideals and their desires for employment and prosperity. Fianna Fáil has enough talent North of the border to bring a fresh face to northern politics.
Mary Lou to run for Westminister in West Tyrone?
I heard through the grapevine that former Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, and twice failed Dáil Election candidate Mary Lou McDonald is thinking about running in West Tyrone in next years Westminster Election. Currently the party’s Vice President, Mary Lou really needs to get a win under her belt. If she runs again for the Dáil and fails to take a seat, I would expect that the writing would almost certainly be on the wall for her.
The sitting MP for the constituency is Mary Lou’s predecessor as SF VP, Pat Doherty. It is expected that he will retire at the next General Election. This will be an interesting election especially if Independent candidate Kieran Deeny decides not to contest the election. He polled over 27% of the vote in 2005 and the common opinion is that most of this an SDLP vote seeing as the SDLP vote fell from over 30% in 2oo1 to less than 10% in 2005. While one would assume that any Sinn Fein candidate would hold the seat, stranger things have happened.
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McDonnell to declare for SDLP Leadership today
South Belfast MP and MLA, Dr. Alasdair McDonnell is to officially announce his intention to seek the leadership of the SDLP at a press conference. The current Deputy Leader of the party will be the second candidate to declare following the decision by SDLP Minister and South Down MLA Margaret Ritchie to seek the leadership.
Dr. McDonnell, in the Irish Times today, says that he will “present himself as ‘the right leader at the right time’. He intends to concentrate on two main issue; namely the organisational reform and party finances. He believes that the SDLP can no longer ‘accept a secondary position behind Sinn Féin and the DUP’
McDonnell is a former member of Fianna Fáil from his time studying medicine in UCD and is seen as being to the forefront of the Fianna Fáil wing of the SDLP. It will be interesting to see if Alban Maginnis endorses McDonnell as expected. Maginnis is seen as being one of the leading lights of the Labour wing of the party. Having said that, Minister Ritchie is not that hostile to Fianna Fáil and did me a favour and came to debate with me and Minister Noel Dempsey in Meath in 2006.
I’d be interested to hear the views of my many SDLP friends on the above…
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