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Is Bertie about to follow the DUP’s ‘good example’?
Read more about: Fianna Fail, Irish Politics, Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin, Unionism 
Brian Feeney casts his eye south of the border. He reckons Sinn Fein nibbling on the edges of government will cause much agitation within the DUP. He’s possibly right. However the actual position of the DUP on seeing Sinn Fein walking into a future government may not be as clear cut as he suggests. In fact, Frank Millar went directly to the heart of the problem last month. ”The Doc”‘s response:
Given the decisions he has had to make, would Dr Paisley have any difficulty if Bertie Ahern were to invite Sinn Féin into government after the General Election this month? “No I wouldn’t,” he replies laughing. “I taunted him with that before. I said, ‘why not bring them into your government?’. But now [ the Taoiseach] says he doesn’t like the theology of their politics.” But it wouldn’t worry him? “Oh, if they bring them in, I would probably mock them and say ‘we showed a good example’.”
Yet it is a moot point about just how much the DUP ever considered the possible bounce their delayed signing up to St Andrews (aka GFA 1.1) might give their erstwhile political opponents in the southern context. As such, Feeney’s last question stands:
Now do you think that oul’ curmudgeon Paisley knew he was playing a part in Bertie’s election campaign and if Fianna Fail makes a deal with Sinn Féin does Paisley realise the part he also played in creating the opportunity for Sinn Féin in the south?
Though, given the energy his Ulster Unionists expended on fights they could not win, it may also be that, in the purely political sense, he doesn’t really care…
Feeney is wrong when he says that SF wont get transfers. Certainly that has been true up until now, but this time around, with the buoying of the party through its accomplishments in the North combined with many FF voters preferring a pact with Beelzebub over the PDs, SF is presenting as a much more palatable coalition partner to many FF voters in working class areas. Those who are also supporting independents and disillusioned Labour voters will also be transferring to SF. This is going to be a new and interesting development in SF’s political fortunes in the Republic.
I agree. I think that is what is likely to make the difference between their target of ten and the final total. If we are to judge that there has been a northern effect on this election. that will be one significant piece of evidence in its favour!