McDonald: Varadkar arrogant and ignorant

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar’s demand that Sinn Féin MPs should resign shows breathtaking arrogance, political ignorance and a worrying level of antidemocratic sentiment.

This ludicrous and anti-democratic proposition is endorsed by the Irish Independent (November 27) which describes the Taoiseach’s logic as “flawless”.

Those who have turned their backs on Northern nationalists for generations and who themselves abstain from Northern elections demand that we renege on our democratic mandate, swear allegiance to a foreign power and sit in a foreign parliament.

The truth is that the Taoiseach’s position is driven by political pointscoring. His analysis is threadbare and really shoddy for the head of Government.

Ireland’s interests have never and will never be advanced by Westminster. Historical records and Brexit amplify this point.

Those looking at this through a crude mathematical lens fail to calculate what the political implications would be if Irish Republicans entered the House of Commons to try to dictate what sort of Brexit will take place.

It will not happen, but it would not work anyway.

Partition is against Irish national interests. Brexit dramatically demonstrates this reality.

I find it absolutely shocking that a serving Taoiseach would advocate that Irish politicians, representing Irish people on the island of Ireland, should swear allegiance to a foreign monarch.

Sinn Féin is a national organisation with a national leadership and decisionmaking structures. How could we as a party of the Oireachtas swear allegiance to a foreign monarch?

How could the Taoiseach or other parties in Government entertain the notion of swearing allegiance to a foreign power? They know that this is not a realistic proposition.

Sinn Féin has worked constructively with the Government and other parties on the issue of Brexit and we will continue to do so. But the political point scoring needs to stop and Sinn Féin’s mandate must be respected.

This issue is too serious to be used as a political football. Mary Lou McDonald TD

Leinster House