Gearóid ó Cairealláin in the Andersonstown News has some interesting thoughts on future progress. He foresees Sinn Fein being pulled into a shadow Assembly even if it doesn’t want to be. He then suggests that the party’s supporters should keep their eye on the longer term gameplan – ie to draw the Northern and Southern polities closer together by consolidating its substantial support in Northern Ireland and moving beyond its currently marginal status in the Republic:
Sinn Féin have already rejected this proposal stating that they would prefer the assembly to be scrubbed altogether and the MLAs’ salaries stopped. But Sinn Féin know they will not be able to reject the shadow assembly if and when the Brits set it up, with the support of the Leinster House lot. They will just have to be dragged, kicking and screaming into it and hope that it can be edged forward towards the re-establishing of real power later on.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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