Irish general election: Sinn Fein's plans for a border poll are left 'in tatters'

Sinn Fein’s performance in the Irish general election has left its plans for a border poll “in tatters” and exposed the lack of an alternative vision for government beyond “populist policies”, Doug Beattie has said.

The Ulster Unionist MLA was reacting to a poor performance from the Republic’s main opposition party, who failed to capitalise on a difficult five years for the governing Fianna Fail and Fine Gael-led coalition.

placeholder image — Doug Beattie says Sinn Fein's has had no vision apart from 'populist policies that swing left, right and centre dependent on public opinion'.

Sinn Fein’s share of the first preference vote dropped over 5% – dwarfing small declines for the party’s two major rivals.

Any possibility of Mary Lou McDonald’s party entering government to pursue their plans for a border poll now look almost impossible.

Doug Beattie told the News Letter: “If the Irish elections have shown us one thing it’s that pragmatism, stability and trust in what is in front of the Irish people clearly strips away the dewy eyed notion that Sinn Fein could create anything better.

“Indeed it’s clear over the last 12 months that Sinn Fein have no alternative vision for government apart from populist policies that swing left, right and centre dependent on public opinion.

“The Irish people are not persuaded by Sinn Féin’s immigration policies, their economic vision, defence and security and indeed foreign policy. Their vision in Northern Ireland differs hugely from their vision in the Irish republic and their contributions within the European Union are not in line with what the Irish people want.

“Where it is clear Sinn Fein is now one of the big three parties the reality is none of the other two are likely to ever want Sinn Fein as a government partner because they simply cannot be trusted.

“Ourselves alone they well say but that will never progress beyond opposition politics and leaves their plans for an Irish Unity referendum by 2030 in tatters”.

In their manifesto, Sinn Fein had promised, if successful, to “commence planning for and actively working toward the holding, by the end of this decade, of the referendums on Irish reunification provided for in the Good Friday Agreement”.

The party also pledged to establish a ‘Reunification and One Ireland’ unit and appoint a Minister of State for Reunification and One Ireland.