Mary Lou: I want SF to govern without FG or FF...
Sinn Fein chief insists voters retain ‘ appetite for change’
MARY Lou Mcdonald said she wants to lead a new government – without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael.
The Sinn Fein leader added the “appetite for politics of change” is still there and they will try and capitalise on it in the next General Election.
Speaking to Carole Coleman o n RT E R a d i o O n e , Ms Mcdonald said: “What we wish to do i s to lead a new government, ideally without Fianna Fail or Fine Gael.
“We went through the last campaign with the absolute j u v e n i l e n o n s e n s e f r o m Michael Martin and Leo Varadkar about a c o mp e t i t i o n between them to see who could state most categ o r i c a l l y t h a t they wouldn’t talk to Sinn Fein.
“That approach has been discredited and can I al s o s ay, t h e i r r use a nd t h e i r rational e at t hat t i me f or kee pi ng Si nn Fei n out of government was to suggest that we couldn’t deliver stable government.
“Well , so much f or that. We’ve had months now of utter chaos so when Fine Gael and Fianna Fail cast an utter aspersion against me and my colleagues, a team I am very proud to lead, we are prepared, we are ready and we are preparing for the election.
“We want to be in government, we want to deliver on health, housing incomes.
“We want a government that gives our young people a chance to get their lives and their futures back on track.
“What they have to say is a matter for themselves but we won’t be deterred, it’s obvious that the appetite for politics of change is still so live and so real.”
Ms Mcdonald also said the lack of an all- island approach to the battle against Covid- 19 is “disappointing” and it has made t h e j ob of ke e pi ng people safe far more difficult. S he has al s o cal l ed f or mandatory testing for anyone arriving into Irel and , not j ust t h o s e c o m i n g from the UK or South Africa.
She said: “We have been v er y clear from the get go that the controls and protections i n r e s p e c t o f travel onto the i sland have been and remain absolutely inadequate.
“Nobody should be coming to our shores without a negative test, it shouldn’t be limited j ust t o Brit ain and S outh Africa.
“There should be a second mandator y t est f or people when they arrive here and people should only be coming for essential purposes.
“We need a proper system of quarantine and self- isolation.”