By Tony O’Riley-
Sinn Fein’s election success is likely to have various implications on Brexit, and it could take a while before the full effects become clear. The Irish government is believed to be more nationalist in its orientation, and has undeniable implications for the peace process. It is yet to be seen how the issue of boarder controls will play out.
Ireland has just embraced a party that pretends to be democratic, left-wing and progressive but still dictatorial in essence . Sinn Fein is a party many observers are rightly cynical about. His party actively seeks nationalistic objectives at the expense of the inclusiveness that comes with being British.
Sinn Fein’s party is most motivated towards building a United Ireland, not so much one subject to the wider rules of Westminster. All three of the leading Irish parties are remainers, that is anti Brexit in principle, though the Brexit deal will be observed by the Irish government of the day. Under current arrangements, Northern Ireland is still a de facto member of the EU single market, keeping it closer to its national political ideology.
An Irish coalition government that includes Sinn Féin could complicate Boris Johnson’s vision for greater autonomy and divergence from the EU, especially as Dublin is looking to be a big player in the future trading relationship with Britain. Speaking on BBC, Mary Lou Macdonald.
She said: “I think that in any event we are heading towards a Border Poll, a referendum on unity. I think that’s just the direction of travel.
“Anybody who is in touch with the dynamic of politics on this island knows that. It’s very irresponsible, you know, for politicians of any stripe to bury their hands in the sand on that score.
“I was saying to the outgoing taoiseach and government that we need to start the preparations. Whoever now makes up the next government, those preparations need to start.
Mary Lou Macdonald today warned the UK to prepare for a border boll after her party top performance on the popular vote, comfortably beating Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s. All three main parties will fail to meet the expected standards the 80 seats required for a Dail majority so, barring another election, some form of coalition is inevitable.
She added: “We look to Britain from this island we say ‘My God that Brexit debacle was a mess. It was ill-prepared, ill-conceived, not properly weighed and considered’. That’s our perspective. Let’s not self walk ourselves into a disorderly constitutional transition. I think that would be wrong, I think it could be potentially dangerous. So we need to make the preparations now.”