Sinn Fein ready to shock in Ireland vote

VOTERS across the Republic of Ireland went to the polls yesterday in an election that could send shockwaves through the British Isles.

Sinn Fein, formerly the political wing of the Provisional IRA, is poised for a breakthrough after topping a range of opinion polls.

They are believed to have successfully tapped into widespread anger at a lack of affordable housing and the state of the health service.

The predicted strong showing comes as leader Mary Lou Mcdonald successfully repositions the party.

Once seen as a political pariah, it is a powerful player that its rivals now ignore at their peril. But Sinn Fein is not expected to enter government.

In a sign it did not expect the surge in support, it fielded 42 candidates – not enough for a majority, even if all of them were to win.

Ireland’s major parties are also reluctant to embrace it as a coalition partner because of its enduring association with thetroubles.

However, Leovaradkar’s time as Taoiseach – during which he took a tough line on Brexit before forming a warm working relationship with Boris Johnson – looks as if it may be coming to an end, with voters deserting his Fine Gael party.

Fianna Fáil, led by Micheál Martin, is now tipped to be the largest single party, but it is not expected to win anything like a majority in the 160-seat Dáil Éireann.

The counting of votes will begin today and weeks of coalition negotiations may await.

The Republic now looks on course for a shift to the Left, and the UK can expect whoever leads the Irish Government to demand that the European Union drives a hard bargain in the forthcoming trade negotiations with Brussels.