Sinn Féin fears meltdown as more quit
CONCERNS are growing within Sinn Féin that the party is in meltdown prior to the local elections, which are due to be held in May, following the latest resignations from the party.
The recent high-profile departures of councillors Una D’Arcy in Westmeath and David Doran in Tipperary means that 37 councillors, TDs and senators have left the party since 2016.
Commenting on the growing number of departures, Fianna Fáil’s Niall Collins said: ‘The current debacle shows the Tweedledee and Tweedledum partnership of Mary Lou and Michelle O’Neill is not working.’
‘Far from catching up with Fianna Fáil in the next elections, Sinn Féin will be struggling to win as many seats as the old Labour party,’ the foreign affairs spokesman added.
Within Sinn Féin, unease is growing over the performance of leader Ms McDonald, with one source noting: ‘Succeeding Gerry Adams is a bit like following on from Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.’
Peadar Tóibín, who resigned from the party last November, noted that a key factor is that Sinn Féin is ‘reaching out to the leafy, liberal, RTÉ and Irish Times vote and leaving its own support behind.’
Mr Tóibín warned that his former party was ‘in freefall, and an increasing number of grassroots people are asking questions and not liking the answers they are getting’.