SF’s abstentionism a betrayal of Ireland

ON June 8, 2017, the electorate in Northern Ireland voted for representation in parliament.

This followed the Brexit referendum, and we knew our MPs would be making critical decisions about Brexit and the Irish border. Despite this, Sinn Fein fielded candidates who refuse to vote in parliament.

In the Fermanagh-South Tyrone constituency, Michelle Gildernew called on nationalists to “lend me your vote”. Less than a week after getting 25,230 votes and securing her MPs salary, she announced: “Parliament is not important, as all major decisions are made in Stormont”.

When it became clear that parliament would vote on the final Brexit agreement and a hard or soft border, then the decent thing for Sinn Fein to do was to resign all its seats.

This would have resulted in by-elections and the opportunity for other nationalists to be elected to Parliament and vote against a hard border. Sinn Fein denied this opportunity and decided to remain on the Her Majesty’s payroll.

On December 11, 2018, the partition of Ireland will be voted on in Parliament with no nationalist representation and no Stormont.

On this date, Sinn Fein’s recklessness in democracy will stab Ireland in the back and leave our futures at the mercy of British MPs.

Sinn Fein are incapable of honest representation, and are failures in Parliament and failures at Stormont.

FERMANAGH NATIONALIST (Name and address with Editor)