Sinn Féin’s position on Westminster is illogical

MARY Lou McDonald criticised Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for suggesting Sinn Féin MPs in the North should resign their seats because they don’t attend Westminster, and further criticised the Irish Independent for describing Varadkar’s logic as “flawless”.

Ms McDonald’s response is that it will not happen, but it would not work anyway. However, she does not explain exactly how it would not work, other than to say Irish Republicans could not “swear allegiance to a foreign monarch”.

However, this logic debases the SDLP which took its seats in Westminster when it had MPs in the North. Or does Sinn Féin have a monopoly on nationalistic thinking in the North?

Furthermore, as much as Sinn Féin purports to support the Good Friday Agreement, its bizarre position is in conflict with this. The Good Friday Agreement accepts that the six counties of the North remain part of the UK as long as a majority of people there wish to keep the status quo. Therefore Westminster is the national government there. Sinn Féin’s refusal to take its seats won’t change the constitutional position of Northern Ireland one iota.

Sinn Féin’s actions are illogical and only serve to harden divisions between nationalists and unionists. As nationalist leaders in the North who should be trying to unite Protestant, Catholic and dissenter, this is unforgivable. Tommy Roddy

Salthill, Galway