It always seems that the biggest insult to a political party is to accuse them of a “U Turn”. Sinn Féin fielded John O’Dowd to try and explain the debacle over Welfare Cuts.
It is all a bit awkward for Sinn Féin. For months they have been posturing as the Party leading the fight against “Tory” (sic) Cuts. They even started petitions in Belfast City Centre. That was a curious petition. Who was behind it? Seemed that petition was quietly shelved…before Sinn Féin signed up to the same Tory Cuts.
It was of course all part of a broader Agreement. ..or pretend Agreement. But why did Sinn Féin fold? Well, they would claim that as a Government Party, they are being “responsible” and “making difficult decisions” and had bought some key concessions. And they depicted SDLP who still refused to sign up to “Tory” cuts as irresponsible and acting like an Opposition.
The All-Ireland Party….Sinn Féin depicts itself as such…has a problem. It is in Government in Norn Iron and administering “austerity” and it is in Opposition in the Republic of Ireland and resisting “austerity”. And next goes to the polls in Norn Iron and within a year in the Republic goes to the polls.
So can we assume that those new Sinn Féin southerners are maybe just a little bit concerned that Sinn Féin in government is not quite as consistent as Sinn Féin in Opposition.
But it is not about one Sinn Féin U-Turn. SF held their annual conference in Derry last weekend. Something magical happened. They changed their minds. They wont implement “Tory” cuts.
What went wrong? Were Sinn Féin canvassers in Norn Iron (the Westminster Election is only eight weeks away) getting hammered on the door-step. Were SDLP starting to look attractive to some SF voters.
Sinn Féin spin it that they were sold a pup…the “extra” money that they were “promised” isnt there. They are victims of “bad faith”. Bad Faith? Presumably they mean that DUP could not stop crowing about their victory in negotiations.
What happens next? Well, it will be sorted….AFTER the Election. Sinn Féin will talk tough for eight weeks ….and fold ….again.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
SF seem to be at sixes and sevens these days.
Unfortunately John,your party colleague Alban McGuinness was interviewed in the Irish News the -day after the stormont house agreement and said that the alternative was the collapse of the institutions and were saved “by SFcoming round to our way of thinking.Your party signed up stormont house too John and then days later cynically pretended they didnt.Dolores Kelly was made mince meat of by Nolan the other day .He asked her how she would raise revenue to offset cuts and she replied she would “sell a forest” He asked her how much this would raise and she said she didnt know but “I have to go now”! John I honestly dont know why you are linked to this party which is in total dissaray,,seriously factionalised and whose members are in thrall to extreme religious fanatics.Witness cllr Brian Duffin picketing the SF ard fheis and raving about “satan”. Several of their MLAs hid on the day of the Marie Stopes vote -McDevitt the great liberal et al hadnt the guts to vote against the religious zealots intheir ranks.Similarly Alban and several others couldnt back equal marriage.However every damn one of them could support Jim Allisters SPAD bill to discriminate against ex prisoners as they will again to criminalise hunger strikers with Tom Elliots bill. You rightly criticise “letsgetalongism” John but many in the SDLP are among its foremost proponents.They voted the NCA into law and now use the fact to portray SF as “soft on crime” while at the same time cosy up to dissidents if it can be used to damage SF.A neighbour of mine has a similar name to a dissident letter writer and an SDLP cllr mistakenly congratulated him on “the great letter ” he had written to a daily newspaper. John,things are bad in this place but would be ten times worse if these opportunists gained electoral dominance in the nationalist community.
The institutions are less important than principles.
What principles are involved in the spad bill or shouting “satan” at political rivals? Also it was Alban who wanted to save the institutions.
Diversion much?
Is there a left wing in the SDLP?
What is their view of the cuts which will effect the poorest of the poor.
And i’ll admit as i said before on here putting an advert for a Catholic charity on your main website sends out a strange message to those not catholic.
SDLP, the catholic party.
All a bit strange even by 6 county standards.
We are against “cuts”.
I am not sure about this advert to which you refer.
Is it SVdP, Trocaire or CAFOD?
I dont think its an issue…the beneficiaries here and in the Third World are not necessarily Catholic?
John Humes nobel prize money was equally donated to svdp and salvation army.
To their credit, the salvation army is made up of decent people who provide a service.
Maybe its this ipad but i see no adverts at all. Presumably no charity is “charged” to appear on any Party website. But presumably some charities would be uncomfortable appearing on a political party website.
But actually…charities and political parties …and pressure groups …is something I want to address during this week.