FF planning to reach out to Sinn Féin?

[antiestablishmentarian]

Apologies for starting a new thread on this but I felt it warranted a discussion of its own. I was reading through Micheál Martin's Ard Fheis keynote address (I know, I know...) and amid the dross and bull dust about FF's 'social conscience' there was an interesting snippet of the speech dealng with the Peace Process where Martin toned down his anti-Provo rhetoric and seems in some ways to be moving to build bridges with SF. This is the snippet in full

As far as I’m concerned the heroes of the peace process are the Irish people who were willing to open a place for the men of violence to abandon their illegitimate campaign of death, destruction and unrest.

All of this seems strong on the face of it, but a closer look reveals the language to be more neutral than the usual stuff about murderers, criminals etc that FF formerly applied to the Provos and Sinn Féin. Perhaps I'm attaching too much importance to a 10-second extract from the speech, but it seems to me as if FF is toning down its rhetoric in preparation for an extension of the olive branch to Sinn Féin. Any thoughts?

[riposte]

Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail ..... or Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein will enter coalition together when ..and only when..... their seat numbers compel them to do so.

[Sidewinder]

They know there are only two plausible routes for FF to get back into power - a Grand Coalition with FG/Lab "in the interests of stability"....or a coalition with SF.

They'll try to suck up to all sides, do and say whatever they think is necessary to please the other parties and angle for getting themselves included at the top table again soon.

FF will never change, and nothing they say can be trusted. It's all about FF, FF power, FF access to the wealth of the nation so they can redistribute it into the pockets of their supporters. They are a shower of petty-criminal shysters, inbred mucksavage thieves, and every toxic drop of poison that drips from the lips of an FF vampire is nothing but lies.

As Anonymous would say, when it comes to FF - "We do not forgive. We do not forget".

[antiestablishmentarian]

Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail ..... or Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein will enter coalition together when ..and only when..... their seat numbers compel them to do so.

Oh I'm aware of that reality, I just think it's interesting to see the repositioning of FF with regard to Sinn Féin- they're softening up their membership for a potential future alliance imo, all this 'republicanism' guff is geared towards that too, I can see how a future coalition will be presented as constitutional republicanism uniting and FF bringing the prodigal son back beneath its wings.

[Nicht Besonders]

There was chap on Charlie Bird's Moveable Feast or whatever it's called today, a regular party member at the Ard Fheis, and he brought up the issue, without prompting, of how FF and all the main parties will have to start treating SF with more consideration now that their number have swelled in the Dail. It was all wrapped up in this "they'll have to continue to move towards democracy" window-dressing, but I don't really think FF would have any qualms about cosying up to SF when there is power to seized and abused, and it'd have to be a live issue among members, I cant see how it wouldn't be, given FF's current plight.

[Dr. FIVE]

Charlie Bird's Moveable Feast

[DCon]

I don't really think FF would have any qualms about cosying up to SF when there is power to seized and abused.

If Satan and the fallen angels of hell formed a political party and won a few seats in the next election FF would have no qualms

[Shaadi]

I've been watching FFs survival strategy, they have figured out that they have little to gain by trying to regain the votes lost to SF. That's a done deal, they're down to their core vote and it's going nowhere. They're hoping for FG to drop into the mid 20%s and to close what would then be an 8% gap or less if they can get some of their vote back from FGs drop. They'll be nicer to SF and hope to get some transfers from ex FF supporters who now vote SF.

They intend to form a Govt with FG after the next GE and expect to come out of that in good shape. They think they'll be forgiven and on the way back to where they were. They won't because that place doesn't exist anymore. There has been a permanent change in Irish politics, SF are not the new half in the two and a half party system. Labour may not be as decimated in the next GE as people are assuming. No party will have over 30% in the next few elections, it'll be FG in the high 20%s with SF and FF in the low 20%s trying to close the gap with LAB hanging in there in the low teens and ULA/IND possible king makers in any future coalition Govts.

If a new PD type party gets going it could really shake things up, by taking a fair sized chunk of the FG/LAB vote and preventing any hope FF had of getting back into the 20%s quickly.

[Fraxinus]

I wouldn't be too sure about the cosying up. Take a look at the print cartridge controversy over the past week. It was the Daily Mail and Martin who really jumped on that story. The Mail during the Presidential election was firmly behind Gallagher and seems to be the paper of FF Nua. I think the difference is FF know using the Troubles stick to beat SF with just won't work anymore and will gain them no votes so the rhetoric will be softened there. But on other issues FF will be waiting like a snake in the grass for SF to slip up and then the mud slinging will start....which it already did during the week. FF will gladly form a coalition with SF to get into power but not before they try to dirty them up a little first.

[DCon]

I wouldn't be too sure about the cosying up. Take a look at the print cartridge controversy over the past week. It was the Daily Mail and Martin who really jumped on that story. The Mail during the Presidential election was firmly behind Gallagher and seems to be the paper of FF Nua.

you might be onto something.

The Ahern story in the Mail today is nauseating. Him driving around in a modest Ford Mondeo, going to the gym lifting weights etc etc

Man of de peeple is back

The portly politician has been hitting the Regency Health and Fitness Club at the Regency Hotel in Drumcondra with kit bag in tow since he left power but in the past, he needed to be taken there by his driver. With his new-found freedom of the road, Bertie can hit the treadmill and pump iron to his heart's content.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1o9xC0zUA

[culmore]

FF will go into power with anyone , they are power greedy, no principles just power, to get their pals jobs etc and brown envelopes for themselves they will go into government with anyone

[C. Flower]

In the long haul, Fianna Fail's "all things to all people" days are gone. Fianna Fail was an ossifying party even before the boom. There was a steady loss of urban votes to Labour, FG, PDs etc.,, and an ageing party base. It was and is on the road to becoming a rural Pensioners' Party.

Fianna Fail held its position more and more tenuously, as its main rural, small farmer, social base has declined, on the basis of its being the party that defended the Republic.The bank bailout and the arrival of the IMF/EU ended its credibility there permanently as the damage done to Ireland is permanent. In that sense I'm not sure if it matters who they reach out to, or don't.

While they don't seem to be a party with a future, it is hard to see what will become of its past - its 17% of die hards. At the moment, there are no signs that I can see of FF people defecting to other parties - perhaps in part because they would not be welcome. But in time it seems likely that there will either be a split along O Cuiv / Gallagher /Old school lines, or that there will be a gradual bleed of activists to other parties or other forms of public life.

[Dr. FIVE]

In the long haul, Fianna Fail's "all things to all people" days are gone.

Didn't stop them passing motions to open the vatican embassy and support gay marriage this weekend.

shysters

[C. Flower]

Didn't stop them passing motions to open the vatican embassy and support gay marriage this weekend.

shysters

Mmm. But perhaps instead of pleasing both religious people and gays, they will have seriously annoyed both.

[Dr. FIVE]

yip, that goes for almost everything

A self made cul de sac.