Dissident party stands by decision to expel chair
THE majority of the Northern Ireland voter base wants the Stormont Executive reformed, latest polling suggests.
The deadline to strike a deal to restore the power-sharing institutions is fast approaching and discussions are ongoing for parties to find agreement by tomorrow.
Belfast-based polling and market research company LucidTalk carried out a survey to gauge public opinion as part of its monthly tracker poll.
It found that 60% of the Northern Ireland voter base wants the institutions reformed.
However, 16% want a period of direct rule, but with the longterm aim of restoring the power-sharing institutions.
Essentially, they support the reformation of Stormont, but after it has been “well sorted out”, as one comment put it — i.e. a period of direct rule with ongoing discussions.
Some 60% of Sinn Fein voters want the Stormont Executive re-established — roughly the same as the overall figure for Northern Ireland. The second favourite option for Sinn Fein voters was joint authority by the British and Irish Governments (36%).
Only 45% of DUP voters support the restoration of the Stormont institutions, compared to 59% of UUP voters.
LucidTalk said this was significant, perhaps showing that DUP supporters see the power their MPs now have at Westminster, and are therefore less interested in getting the Stormont institutions up and working again.
Results show that one-in-three DUP voters wants a period of direct rule, with discussions on future devolved institutions.
Only 13% of UUP voters want direct rule permanently, compared to 21% of DUP voters.
There is strong support from the Alliance, Green and Independent group of voters for the restoration of Stormont — almost 66%, or two-in-three.
However, it’s noteworthy that an additional 18% support a period of direct rule with ongoing discussions to get the institutions on a “totally sound footing”.
It is also noteworthy that 11% of this same group would prefer joint authority by the British and Irish Governments.
The latest polling suggests Sinn Fein’s support base backs the party policy of not taking its seats at Westminster.
The results suggest that the party’s voters overwhelmingly endorse the Sinn Fein leadership’s position on abstentionism. Of those who took part, 87% fully support the policy, with 70% “totally agreeing” with it.
Only 5% of Sinn Fein supporters totally disagree with the policy. Seven per cent don’t agree, but are not overly concerned.
In addition, Sinn Fein supporters were asked: “If the Sinn Fein leadership changed their Westminster abstention policy, would you support/accept this?”
More than 50% would either not like this policy change, or be totally against it.
Some 30% were totally opposed to such a change of policy.
The Sinn Fein voter base would be split on this issue — but overall this is a major endorsement of Sinn Fein’s current policy position on this issue.
The LucidTalk poll results show that even if the Sinn Fein leadership wanted to change policy on this issue, it would be a very dangerous political move. A NEW dissident republican party has defended its decision to expel leading Belfast republican, Harry Fitzsimons.
Saoradh also said it was disappointed that 23 of its members in the city had resigned in support of Fitzsimons.
The Belfast Telegraph yesterday revealed that the members had quit the party, accusing Saoradh’s leadership of behaving like “a kangaroo court and lynch mob”.
They claimed that Fitzsimons, who was the party’s Belfast chairman, had made allegations of “financial irregularities” before he was expelled.
They also said that he had separately clashed with Ardoyne republican, Dee Fennell, whom they accused of “egoism” and “trying to take control of Belfast with his clique”.
Saoradh, which is supported by New IRA prisoners, was launched just 10 months ago in Newry, with high-profile dissidents Colin Duffy and Alex McCrory in attendance.
In a statement yesterday, Saoradh expressed disappointed that some Belfast members had resigned, but said that the decision to expel Fitzsimons had been authorised by its national executive and he had been “afforded due process”.
A party spokesman said that it investigated “all matters, including that of its members’ conduct, which come to the attention of the party, impartially”.
Saoradh said it would not be distracted by “deliberate opportunism of sections of the media or by the naive or deliberate actions of individuals”.
Harry Fitzsimons is one of the most senior republicans in Northern Ireland.
The 48-year-old west Belfast man is currently out on bail facing charges of directing terrorism, preparing terrorist acts and being in a banned organisation — the IRA.
He and his two co-accused, Colin Duffy and Alex McCrory, have denied all the charges they are facing. The charges relate to an attack on police in north Belfast in 2013.
Saoradh, which is Irish for ‘liberation’, has headquarters on the Falls Road, which were raided by police earlier this month.