So…Thomas (Slab) Murphy. Where do I start? Alleged (at one time) to be Chief of Staff of the IRA and described by Gerry Adams TD as a “good republican”and found guilty today of Tax Evasion.
Not sure how Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin will react but it is fairly obvious that a “good republican” can rip off the the taxpayers of the Republic of Ireland.
It cant be good for Sinn Féin. There are two ways to play this. It is “political policing”, “Slab is innocent ok”, “witch hunt” and “courts are enemies of the Peace Process”.
Or they will cast Slab adrift. And rather more quickly than they had to ditch other “good republicans”.
There is a delicate balance for them. Slab himself will know that Sinn Féin will have to distance themselves. He will have to take one for the team.
And yet there are other SF figures…the non-politicians who keep an eye on the politicians who might see a glimpse of their own future. Some people are more expendable than others.
Is it a game-changer? I dont know…but I do know that SDLP has been staging a mini-revival in South Armagh. And the Party is optimistic.
It is of course not happening in isolation. SF have not had a good year. Flip-flopping on Welfare,losing Michelle Gildernew at Westminster, Barry McElduff taking up comedy and Phil Flanagan getting de-selected (another man taking one for the team) and posing as anti-Austerity in Dublin and pro-Austerity in Belfast just doesnt deserve to work. And a Stormont that just doesnt work. And selling out victims. And SDLP suddenly looking younger and fresher. And SF losing too many head-to-heads with DUP.
Sinn Féin can of course claim that its opponents are playing Politics and SF is being “statesman-like” ….but Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour in Republic would be foolish to miss the open goal that Slab Murphy is not exactly anti-Austerity and that SF are not exactly best placed to be in control of the nation’s finances.
Cheap Shots?
It is Politics.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Storm in a tea cup.
So you wont condemn a “good republican” who is a tax evader.
Gerry Adams today stated that it is inappropriate to comment further until the legal process has finished, so best await developments on this I think.
Well, he is found Guilty.
You dont have to do what Gerry Adams says. Youhave a mind of your own.
Do you really think that SF vote will be affected by this? We have heard these predictions before.
Well I dont know.
I dont know if SF vote WILL be affected by Slab Murphy, Steaknife, SFs surrender of republican and socialist values over Welfare, the flip-flopping,the money paid for “research”to a SF fronted company, the failure to deal with allegations made by Mairia Cahill or the murder of Paul Quinn ….not to mention the murder of Kevin McGuigan in Short Strand.
Regardless of the effect on electoral performance, a reasonable person might wish to condemn all of these things.
If you want to talk about SF predictions for 2015…which included holding Fermanagh-South Tyrone, winning North Belfast and winning Upper Bann……
Lets see how the SF prediction of Gerry Adams as Taoiseach works out.
it is ironic that the eteemed leaer of Adams, has spoken of the future possibilty of some kind of federal Irelland, even though he “wrestled”, or “gained” the power of the predecesors, who proposed this idea, while stifling this idea until further notice.
Am I missing something, or are the protaginists onto something that we don’t realise?
This whole veto against eto really pisses me off, makes my gears grind, especially in terms of infrastruture in the whole province of Ulster, as it effects the rest of the whole of Ireland, no matter what peopl think.
I think SF are primarily interested in being in power….
As Gerry Adams today issued a clarifying statement in which he stated that Murphy has been unfairly treated as he was not given a jury trial so that his human rights were violated. It is not fair that he has been branded a criminal in lurid headlines by media outlets when this does not happen to others.
I dont know why you need to the guidance of Gerry Adams to form a view.
There are two ways to look at this.
Either Slab had tens of thousands of euros and sterling in cash in his shed for a very legitimate reason not involving tax evasion
or
The State planted the money there.
He has not been “branded”as a criminal by the Media.
That has been established in a Court.
The alternative is to believe that Slab is innocent. Maybe there will be vigils all over Ireland…including Cork….and you will wish to show support for Slab by holding a placard “Je Suis Slab”.
But most likely it will confirm that SF is actually now a very CONSERVATIVE party.
Soft on Tax Evaders and hard on Welfare Claimants.
What do you think would be a fair sentence for a man who has been found guilty of such a crime?
The point here that Gerry Adams is making is that Thomas Murphy was not afforded the basic right of a jury trial which is discriminatory and unfair.
when Mr Murphy brought a libel action, it was established that he qualified to be tried in such a court.
Also as Martin mcguinness said in Dublin today what happened in the north over the last 20 years is amazing and wouldn’t have happened without the support of people like Tom Murphy.
McGuinness added that those who criticise Tom are politicking for electoral gain.
Does that give anyone a right to evade tax?
I dont see how any reasonable juror would have thought that there was a reasonable explanation for bags of cash in a cowshed.
As Father Ted said “that money was resting in my account”
Slabs money rests in his cowshed.
It would be more unusual for someone from the border not to try and evade tax. Now there is a distinction between tax avoidance and evasion but essentially that we all want to pay as little as possible except for good socialists. Are SF socialist for the good of Ireland or socialist for the good of SF only. I think that is an important delineation.
I take the point about smuggling in the border areas as a tradition. And I would even extend that thought to admiration off social banditry….in Ireland displaced raparees like Redmond O’Hanlon, Jesse James in USA all had a “political dimension”.
And certainly in Ireland…whether in South Armagh or Connemara, the distrust of the British Govt can become distrist of any Govt…even Irish.
Whether its FF, FG or Sinn Féin, a tax evader cant be deemed a good citizen.
“Good republican”….not sure that any Labour Leader in Britain or Tory Leader would try and claim any person committing tax evasion or even involved in expenses fraud was a good socialist or a good Tory.
No LibDem would say that Chris Huhne who lied about speeding was a good Lib Dem
The right thing to do is distance the Leadership from such people….and I think jailed Tories, Labour and Lib Dems would understand that.
Likewise a “good republican” (not yet sentenced” would understand you have to take one for the team and understand that Adams and Mary Lou have to disown him….for pragmatic political purposes as much as the moral reasons.
Whatever role Slab played in the Peace Process is not relevant. He has been found guilty…and only a handful of people think he was treated badly.
He appeared in a court which had no jury. But three things.
1 a libel trial found that he was not libelled when a newspaper alleged that he was a member of the IRA.
2 the fate of a previous witness against Slab.
3 and the fact that Adams himself claims Slab is a good republican who was influential in delivering Peace….in what context? as he is not known to be “political”.
And maybe even 4….SF has claimed that other good republicans were exonerated when found not guilty in non-jury courts.
Obviously SF can never accept IRA was “terrorist”. But within the context of such courts existing, then Murphy ticks the boxes.
In the context of the Conflict, IRA was certainly involved in fund-raising (which covers a lot of things, normally regarded as criminal) and there cant be much doubt that those things have not ceased.
But some things are just too “high profile” to turn a blind eyes.
In sheer practical terms…the verdict may not adversely affect SF vote. But it will hardly increase it.
And Adams committment to Murphy is unlikely to gain more votes for SF.
That kinda money lying around hardly supports a lifestyle that fits with people affected by Anti-Austerity.
The headlines are not good.
If SF think this is a gross.miscarriage of justice, then logically theyy could organise mass protests at that wall in Divis Sreet or at The GPO Dublin….but I cant see even the most devoted SF member carrying “Je Suis Slab” placards.