Sinn Fein unveils border poll pledge at local election manifesto launch

Posted by Jim on May 10, 2023

Jim Sullivan

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Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and vice president Michelle O’Neill launch manifesto in Newry.

Brett Campbell

Michelle O’Neill says next week’s local government election is a chance for voters to “re-endorse” the outcome of the Assembly poll.

She was speaking as Sinn Fein launched its manifesto at the Canal Court Hotel in Newry on Tuesday.

The 16-page document includes a pledge to set a date for a referendum on unity.

Other key promises include promoting power-sharing and partnership in local government, supporting small local businesses, strengthening workers’ rights to protect against low pay and improving active travel infrastructure including across the border.

Sinn Fein is running 162 candidates which marks the highest number in a local election.

In 2019 the party won 105 seats making it the second largest party in local government.

Ms O’Neill, the party’s vice president and First Minister designate, said the council election allows voters to send a message against the DUP’s Stormont boycott.

Last year it became the biggest political party at Stormont, however it has been unable to govern because the DUP has refused to re-enter the power-sharing executive in protest against the post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.

“I think that for us, this election is an opportunity for people to re-endorse the position which they voted for last May, for the executive to work, for politics to work, for us all to be around the executive table together,” she said.

“So I think people will, and certainly my experience on the ground, engaging with people going door-to-door in the community, speaking to the local business community, they know this is where we all should be.

“So for me, this election is a huge opportunity again, for the public to re-endorse positive leadership, someone who’s determined to try for a better future, someone who’s going to fight back against Tory austerity, someone who’s going to work and make politics work.”

At the launch, Ms O’Neill also said attending the King’s coronation was “the right thing to do”, adding that differing political aspirations should be respected.

“I believe that if we’re going to build a better society, and look towards the future, and a better future for our children and our grandchildren, then we have to have the confidence in ourselves and who we are, and to respect our differences,” she said.

“And we all have equally legitimate political aspirations and outlooks, and that’s OK. But let’s be comfortable enough to be respectful of each other. Let’s be comfortable enough to build that better future.

“And let’s keep our eyes on the next 25 years, and we’ve just celebrated 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement, and what’s been achieved is amazing, despite all the political ups and downs, what’s been achieved is amazing.

“And I’m focused on the future, and we’ve talked about change and the changing political landscape, and where we want things to go in the future – let’s make sure that everybody feels comfortable, and feels valued and is treated equally in our society, because then we’d have the recipe for something better for everybody.”

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said that Ms O’Neill’s representation of the party at the coronation was a show of respect for unionists.

“I just wanted to say very clearly that Michelle’s attendance, Sinn Fein’s attendance at the coronation, was a mark of recognition and respect for our unionist citizens, for British people who are British now in a partitioned Ireland, and who will be British in the United Ireland, and it’s an explicit recognition of that,” she said.

She added: “We all live here together, for goodness’s sake, when there is an act of, of respect, kindness, inclusion, let’s take that. That’s what I think we should do for each other.”

Ms McDonald said the council election marks “a time for hope, for positivity and for optimism”.

“Real change is happening before our eyes,” she said.

“A generation moving forward to build a new and better future for all. A new Ireland, a United Ireland delivering for every person, for every family, for every community.”

Ms McDonald said people want to see politics that works by providing the best health service, childcare, education and strong local services.

“They want economic opportunities realised so that our young people can have a good future,” she added.

“They want the Executive working, they want government for all and they want Michelle O’ Neill to lead the Executive as First Minister working for all, delivering for all,” she continued.

“We are now 12 months on from the Assembly election with the DUP continuing to block a new Executive being formed while Tory austerity is devastating public services and progress is stalled.

“This puts an even greater importance on the council election on May 18.”

Ms McDonald called on the Irish and UK governments to work to “navigate and manage” a border poll which requires “clarity” around a potential date.

“We shouldn’t be waiting for a date, we should be having those conversations now,” she said.