SF flip-flop on the EU so brazen

I refer to an article published on November 21, Alliance man slams SF for '˜cheap party political point scoring' over EU funding (in which a SF councillor accused DUP councillors of a '˜brazen display of hypocrisy' for welcoming a slice of local EU funding).
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Nov 2018, 06:00 BST
Updated 9th Jan 2019, 03:32 BST
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Read it HERE.

Wannabe councillor for Lisburn and Castlereagh Council Joe Duffy of SF, heretofore unheard of, is deserving of criticism.

Firstly, the UK is not due to leave the EU until March 29, 2018. Our Government continues to honour its financial commitments and, as the UK pays more money into the EU budget than it receives back, the Peace IV grant of £151,000 is British money.

Sinn Fein was formerly a Eurosceptic party, but backed Remain in the 2016 referendum. Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson is pictured here campaigning in June 2016, ahead of the voteSinn Fein was formerly a Eurosceptic party, but backed Remain in the 2016 referendum. Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson is pictured here campaigning in June 2016, ahead of the vote
Sinn Fein was formerly a Eurosceptic party, but backed Remain in the 2016 referendum. Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson is pictured here campaigning in June 2016, ahead of the vote
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It is therefore right and proper that the money should be welcomed by the DUP and other party members, particularly when it is to the benefit of all the people of Lisburn and Castlereagh whom they represent.

Secondly, it is no secret that SF, prior to the UK-wide EU referendum, was a Eurosceptic party which between the 1970s and 2016 consistently criticized the Republic for following the UK into the Union, and opposed the deepening integration between Dublin and Brussels.

It choose not to participate in the prevention of Brexit by failing to register with the Electoral Commission thus not allowing SF to become a registered campaigner. Perhaps this goes some way to explain why NI had the lowest voting turnout and why in republican West Belfast, the vote compared to the May 2016 elections fell by 8.6%.

If any political party is guilty of a ‘brazen display of hypocrisy’ it is SF the party that flip-flopped and abandoned its anti European policy for self serving reasons ie a United Ireland.

As Gerry Adams SF said of Brexit, “you have to make the best out of a crisis”.

Issy Whyte, Dromore

Related topics:DUPGovernmentLisburnCastlereagh