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Micheál Martin / TwitterHardline Brexiteers won last evening's Westminster vote because of Sinn Fein abstentionism. Anti Brexit majority in Northern Ireland not represented in any forum.Durkan,Ritchie,and Mcdonnell would have defeated that damaging vote for Ireland.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) July 17, 2018
FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin went on the attack against Sinn Féin yesterday, over its abstentionist policy in Westminster, and was joined by other opponents of the party calling for action in light of the ramifications that Brexit will have on Ireland.
On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to make concessions to hardline Brexiteers in order to avoid a defeat in the House of Commons on her Brexit plans.
In the end she passed the bill for the whole of the UK to leave the EU’s VAT regime by just three votes.
One of those concessions inserted contradicts the EU’s legal draft of the Irish backstop, which would keep Northern Ireland within the customs union for a period of time, avoiding the need for a hard border.
Sinn Féin – which had seven MPs elected in the 2017 general election – does not take any seats in Westminster, in part due to a party policy of not taking an oath of allegiance to the British monarch.
With the DUP helping to prop up May’s Conservative government, and crucial Brexit decisions currently being made that will affect Northern Ireland, Micheál Martin said that this Sinn Féin policy allowed the hardline Brexiteers to win the vote.
He tweeted: “Hardline Brexiteers won last evening’s Westminster vote because of Sinn Féin abstentionism. Anti-Brexit majority in Northern Ireland not represented in any forum. Durkan, Ritchie, and McDonnell would have defeated that damaging vote for Ireland.”
Martin was joined in this condemnation of Sinn Féin by Fine Gael Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan who said Sinn Féin’s “refusal to take up its Westminster seats has plunged the British PM into the clutches of the hard Brexiteers again”.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood tweeted that “the idea that because Sinn Féin won seats as abstentionists, no one can ever question abstentionism is ridiculous”, and added “our fate is being decided at Westminster right now”.
Strong mandate
Republican abstentionism from elected office stretches back over 100 years. It is just over 30 years ago that Sinn Féin agreed to end its abstentionist policy from the Dáil by 429 votes to 161.
The long-standing practice of refusing to take up seats in Westminster continues to this day, with the party running candidates on the clear policy of abstentionism.
Voters are made aware that a vote for Sinn Féin in the House of Commons means they’re voting for a candidate who will not take up a seat if elected.
All MPs must take an oath to the Queen when taking their seats in Westminster, swearing true allegiance to the monarch. Sinn Féin opts not to do this.
In the most recent election, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) were the only Nothern Ireland parties to win seats. The other nationalist party, the SDLP, who would have taken up Westminster seats, failed to win one.
Pressure has come on Sinn Féin to change its abstentionist policy within the context of Brexit as majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU.
Given that the decisions being made in the House of Commons now will directly affect the future of the island of Ireland, the argument made from Sinn Féin opponents such as Martin and Flanagan is that with such tight margins in the Commons they could help swing votes towards a more favourable result for Ireland.
Writing in the Guardian in March, Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey said that sitting in the British parliament is “not what I was elected for”.
“We are not British MPs,” he said. “We are Irish MPs and we believe the interests of the Irish people can only be served by democratic institutions on the island of Ireland.
Sinn Féin goes to the electorate seeking a mandate for that position. We are elected as MPs who vote for Sinn Féin not to take seats at Westminster.
Maskey went on to say that the “people of Ireland will not find a solution to Brexit in the parliament that is imposing it”.
Crucial votes
Even if Sinn Féin were to take its seats and vote against the government, it’s not a certainty that it could defeat the Conservatives on any crucial topics, given how the mathematics of the Tory majority is borne out.
There are 650 MPs elected to the House of Commons. Four of them – the house speaker and the deputy speakers – do not vote, unless there is a tie break.
When you add in the seven Sinn Féin MPs who abstain, it means that the maximum amount of MPs that could vote in a regular vote would be 639.
To win a vote, 320 MPs must back a proposal.
Theresa May’s Conservative party has 316 seats, and it has also secured the support of the 10 seats from the DUP.
When it stands alone against the rest of the Commons, it has 326 votes which is a majority of six. If Sinn Féin was to reverse its abstentionist policy, the government would still win crucial votes if all party members and the DUP voted with it.
The number of MPs who could vote would increase to 646, meaning a motion would pass with 324 votes.
May just has enough to win in such a scenario, but this also does not reflect the divisions within her own party.
The hardline Brexiteers don’t agree with the pro-EU section of the party, which has left the Prime Minister faced with a string of senior resignations from within her own Cabinet over the past week. It has also meant she’s faced opposition when it has come to getting key Brexit motions through.
Regardless of whether a Sinn Féin vote could swing a vote that would be more favourable for Ireland or not, its long-standing policy shows no signs of changing. Furthermore, it has long been a tactic of political opponents of Sinn Féin to attack this policy at various junctures.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One yesterday, Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill said that the votes of party MPs wouldn’t have made a bit of difference earlier this week.
“We have a British government that has spent the past two years in-fighting,” she said.
“If we boil these down, what we clearly have here is a British government in disarray and doesn’t know what it’s doing.
The numbers don’t stack up. It’s nonsense. We need to protect the island of Ireland’s interest… We need to make sure the backstop is the absolute bottom line… This will not be sorted out in the House of Commons or in Westminster.
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Constantly the whining from FF but look what Sinn Fein. What are YOU doing FF? When the people of the north vote SF? They know they don’t take the seats. Agree or disagree, that’s what’s called keeping political promise. Try it occasionally Micheál
@DaisyMay: Many of Sinn Fein’s constituents in Northern Ireland voted against Brexit. Hardly looking after their voters’ interest, are they?
@Philip Kavanagh: 100% they are. The people vote for them because they WON’T swear allegiance to a foreign power. FF would swear to Putin if they thought it would get them a few bucks. That’s integrity.
@DaisyMay: How are they looking after their voters’ interests when their absence from parliament will have a direct negative effect on said voters? I’m no fan of FF, but if any party is completely devoid of integrity it’s SF. The same party whose members only a few years ago hushed up the murder of an innocent man in a Belfast pub.
@Philip Kavanagh:
Straight into FF propaganda trap. Don’t look at us. Look at Sinn Fein.
@Philip Kavanagh: Nobody is forcing the people to vote for Sinn Féin. Everyone knows that they run as abstentionists and yet they pull in the numbers. If people feel that are not being represented they can vote for another party.
@DaisyMay: If anyone has the propaganda machine in full swing, it’s SF. You seem happy to sing their praises but completely ignore the appalling crimes the party has tried to cover up. And another point – Northern Ireland is part of the UK. Therefore Westminister is NOT a foreign power to NI parties. In 2018 it’s incredible that SF and others refuse to accept this (and in doing so the will of the majority of people in NI).
@Philip Kavanagh: u are a blue shirt , people voted for them & knew then wouldn’t take there seats ..
@Leadóg: I am not suggesting that anyone is being forced to vote SF. However, by not taking their seats, SF are rejecting the democratic will of the majority in NI who say that the province is part of UK. And in refusing to back a soft Brexit in parliament, SF is also allowing Theresa May/the Brexiteers to damage the republic. So Micheál Martin or anyone for that matter is perfectly right to call out SF its refusal to engage within Westminster.
@Philip Kavanagh: Phillip their voters have made it clear that they support abstentionism. Brexit was under way when the last WM election happened. SF swept the boards with their strongest ever performance & did so on an abstentionist ticket. The SDLP vowed to take their seats & lost all three they previously had. People didn’t vote for SF party DESPITE abstentionism. They vote for it because they support abstentionism. Shortly after that election, the Belfast Telegraph polled SF voters and it showed a whopping 87% of them “fully agree” with abstentionism. To claim that taking their seats better represents what these people want is just stupid. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/revealed-how-many-sinn-fein-supporters-back-westminster-abstention-policy-35869874.html
@Christopher Doyle: Name calling? Grow up Christopher. And I’ve actually never voted for FF.
@Philip Kavanagh: Micheal Martin is right to call out SF for not taking their seats because ‘ni is part of the UK’? Would that be the same Micheal Martin who a few months back was honouring Countess Markievicz for “refusing to take her seat in a British Parliament”? Nobody does hypocrisy quite like Free Staters do hypocrisy.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: Where did I say that by taking their seats, SF would “better” represent their voters? I asked how can SF look after the interests of their voters re. Brexit if they refuse to take their seats.
@Philip Kavanagh: Anyone who voted S.F
In the British election understood that S.F. would not take their seats in Westminster. F.F. and F.G. criticise S.F. over this stance, they criticise S.F. for not wanting to form or enter discussions about forming a government in the last Irish election. Of course F.G.and F.F. make no mention of their public refusal to even talk to S.F. ,the usual mantra from the above party’s is S.F. unfit for government, yet they have no problem in urging them to take their seats in Westminster. Do you not find it ironic that the party that brought this country to it’s knees now keep in power the blueshirts who endorsed their gangsterism.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: Well you see Tír Eoghain, Countess Markievicz was around about 100 years ago when Ireland was part of the UK but a majority of Irish people wanted Home rule/independence. It is now 2018 and NI is part of the UK. But this time the majority of people in NI want to remain part of UK. So there is no hypocrisy in Martin’s remarks. Different times, different countries.
@Philip Kavanagh: Their voters are interested in the party abstaining, which they are doing. You are desperately trying to claim that their voters interestes are having their wishes denied. David Davies only a few months back conceeded that they were ill prepared for how strong Sinn Féin would be on Brexit, and that’s without needing to take their seats. Aside from that, is there a single MEP in Europe that has been getting as much recognition for her work on Brexit than Martina Anderson?
@Tír Eoghain Gael: Strong on Brexit?! And yet the hard border approaches. David Davis?! The Brexit Minister who spent a total of four hours with EU negotiators during his tenure, and had no plan whatsoever going into said negotiations.
@Philip Kavanagh: Irelamd was part of the UK a hundred years ago too. Back then the majorty of the 32 counties wanted independence. The majority of Ireland today still wants Irish reunification and imdependence, so there is no difference. Such sorry excuses for blatant free stater hypocrisy.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: P.s. It’s the same free stater hypocrisy that’s stopping “The Republican Party” from ending their abstention from six of our counties.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: SF/IRA are too busy stuffing their pockets with money they didnt earn to care about brexit. They are an utter disgrace, its no wonder the cult has never achieved anything
@DaisyMay: __ Yes, people did know that they wouldn’t take their seats, but they didn’t know that the Tories would have such a slim majority, and that those seats would have moved mountains during such a difficult time. The power is sitting there waiting to be grabbed, and they’re not going to take advantage of it. SF should have a party referendum to test the water.
@Ted Murray: Ted, they don’t need a referendum. They know their electorate and they get it right by continuing to abstain. If you don’t believe me, consider that after the last election, when we knew the tory lead was so narrow, that 87% of SF supporters “fully support” the abstentionism policy https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/revealed-how-many-sinn-fein-supporters-back-westminster-abstention-policy-35869874.html
@Tír Eoghain Gael: __ In my opinion they do need a referendum, online polls are a waste of space.
@Ted Murray: And do you think a majority of SF members would support abolishing the abstentionist policy when it would mean:
1. Commiting to taking an oath of allegiance to the British monarchy
2. Abolishing a policy which has proven incredibly popular with it’s voter base
Pot Kettle comes to mind. How many votes do FF TD’s abstain from when ‘representing’ their own voters in the Dáil????
@Kath Noonan: ah well said. We’d have pay those shower by vote to get them to turn up,
@Kath Noonan: The self procliamed ‘Republican Party’ of FF have been abstaining from six of our counties since partition. Hypocrites.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: FF was also the party that helped achieve the Good Friday Agreement which states that NI is a part of the UK until a majority of its people choose otherwise. So, why would FF field candidates in a foreign country?
@Philip Kavanagh: Jesus Philip are FF paying you? Stockholm syndrome
@Philip Kavanagh: Aren’t the six counties a part of Ireland? Or was there no such thing as Ireland until 1922? I assume if you were around back then, that you’d have condemned the 1916 proclaimation since we were all British and we shouldnt be trying to have Irish men representing us in an Irish government?
@Tír Eoghain Gael: No they are part of britian, i know you SF cabbages have limited intelligence but do try to keep up.
@King Billy: that’s just basic geography you absolute idiot. LOL
@King Billy: The six counties are not part of “Britain.” They are however part of the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” Well according to the empire types over there. .. Copper fastened by the good Friday agreement untill a majority of voters in Northern Ireland decide otherwise.
@Philip Kavanagh: only because for once F.F. had a leader who was prepared to put his head on the block, and we all know he paid the price for taking Dig out Bertie,s promise.
No a SF supporter but Martin has some neck critizing them over abstaining.
The FF flip flop party have abstained more times than I can remember on issues of great concern in dail eireann regarding the rights of the electorate.
Absolute frauds, pot and kettle.
@Trevor Hayden: Only thing SF/IRA care about is stuffing their pockets with money and glorifying terrorism
@King Billy: A lot of similarities between FF and SF, both money hungry and wasn’t the former leader of FF Charles J Haughy a gun runner for the IRA.
As i said in the original comment pot and kettle.
Both parties have selective amnesia when it comes to their past.
@Trevor Hayden: If SF were only interested in the money, surely they would take their seats and thereby get paid their salaries from Westminster?
@Tír Eoghain Gael: Westminster and brexit are of no interest to SF, the big money is in the republic and the EU.
@Trevor Hayden: lol “the big money” WTF are you raving about?
@Tír Eoghain Gael: Why settle for crumbs when you can have cake, Britain will suffer as a result of brexit.
Being from Tyrone do you understand how the EU fund Ireland?
Why do you think Varadker and Coveney are so harsh on Britain over brexit?
To appease their paymasters in Brussels, thats what im on about and SF want in on the action.
When will FF stop their abstentionist policy and run candidates in the north.
Would love to see their MP’s swear allegiance to a foreign crown.
Childish point scoring from FF.
@Niallers: Fianna fail stopped it in the 1920s when de Valeria recognized the stupidity of it and formed Fianna fail. The brains of Sinn Fein left with de Valera and Sinn Fein still have not recovered. They have nobody that can make big decisions and are just populists.
@Niallers: SF swear allegiance every time they take the queens money, what loyal little subjects they are LOL
@King Billy: this is just the new “were you in the IRA Gerry?”…. FF have pockets full of brown envelopes, corruption is their modus operandi, but its easier to fling mud than answer questions, MM is just another bluffer who condemned generations to a debt they never incurred.
Accept that Northern Ireland is part of the UK. Accept that this is not the 1970s anymore. Rights for Catholics and UKs attitude to Northern Ireland has changed a lot. What exactly is Abstentionism achieving anymore? What are they protesting? Seems counterproductive and pointless.
@James O’Nolan: head up north there on July 12th. See if you feel the same.
@DaisyMay:
James os talking about the govt, not a bunch of bowler hatted morons
@James O’Nolan: you want a Republican Party to swear allegiance to the queen please your not that Stupid
@David Clarke: What’s wrong with that? She’s the Head of State of the country they are a politician in. Their bigotry is not more important than their responsibility as elected politicians.
@DaisyMay: If that’s the reason then the Orange men win. You do realise that? The Orange Order love SFs policy of abstentionism. No representation because of an outdated prejudice, that’s what it is.
@James O’Nolan: you know what your saying is bull.hite good by now
@David Clarke: Seriously, what’s the point in that? When you comment, please have a constructive point or don’t bother.
Answer this question please: what are SF achieving or ever achieved from Abstentionism? As far as I can see it’s only succeeded in giving their opposition a stronger voice.
I suppose we should be grateful that SF are now half democratic, in participating in Dáil Éireann, but given the dire consequences of Brexit for Ireland, plus the critical hard border risk hovering over their heartland, I cannot but deplore their dereliction of duty to take their places in the Westminister debates & votes.
It can’t be the loyalty oath that prevents this, given that this has been dismissed as a mere form of words to gain admission, so why don’t they just do what they were elected to do, get into this debate & represent their electorates.
@William Kelly: by not taking their seats they are doing what they were elected to do. It’s pretty simple, don’t know why there is so much confusion about it.
@William Kelly: I’m not a SF supporter in the slightest. But they are doing what they were elected to do. The ran with the sole election promise that they would not take their seats. So they are doing what they were elected to do.
@William Kelly: I’ll tell you why Willie because I for one wouldn’t vote for them if they did.
@GorillaGrower: has anyone carried out a poll in SF heartland areas to find out people’s opinion? Abstentiomism is one thing when the numbers don’t make any difference, but in the case of Brexit and the possible dire consequences, I’m sure the majority of SF voters wouldn’t have a problem if they took their seats and did the best thing for the people they represent.
@Dermot Lane: 87% of SF voters “fully support” abstentionism https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/revealed-how-many-sinn-fein-supporters-back-westminster-abstention-policy-35869874.html
Isn’t it terrible all the same. A political party actually doing what they said they were going to do!
Mícheál Martin really does get more pathetic by the day.
He can’t see the wood from the trees however. His never-ending bile and visciousness holds no traction with the people who voted for the 7 Sinn Féin MP’s.
Another example of his arch partitionist views. Aimed at his conservative decreasing southern electorate
Martins comments nothing to do with brexit evryth I ng to do with naxt dail election
Fianna Fáil advocating for a political party to break its promise to their electorate?
Anybody with a brain cell should not vote Fianna Fáil in that case.
IMO I don’t think it’s an outrageous thought to wonder why Fianna Fáil are still in existence after what they did, but the fact they believe breaking the covenant between Party and Electorate is ok shows that they are not fit to represent the people of this country (regardless of whether Sinn Fein could have better helped the Irish people in this vote).
Cheap shots from a cheap leader.
Irony of FFG pushing SF to break electoral promises.. Liebour even.
LOL..
Am I the only 1 confused here at this?? They have a total of 326 seats available to them which gives them the majority so why is this even an issue??
@Dennis Meredith: They don’t have 326. May’s gpatry has about 234 and she needed the Dup’s 4 seats I order to make her government. Her party like all parties is the UK are in civil war between there Pro Brexit MP’s and there remain MP’s. the last vote May lost by 3 Votes
FF here, lausing Countess Markievicz for “her refusal to take her seat in a British Parliament”. Hypocrites.
https://twitter.com/fiannafailparty/status/941259161198911489?s=19
@Tír Eoghain Gael: they have necks thinker than a jockey’s bollocks, this level of hypocrisy should embarrass any decent human. Not Irish politicians though.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: Twitter was very big back in her time alright PMSL
@King Billy: ehhhh that enhances his point as it was just last year (December 2017) when Fianna Fáil lauded her not taking her seat…
And remind me, who was leader of FF in 2017 and clearly an active twitter user?
Three SDLP votes would have made the difference yesterday, and changed the maths enough that every close vote over the last year would have been closer and given the Tory remainers more confidence in rebelling.
Perhaps the moderates who have gone to SF in the last few elections will remember this next time and go back to SDLP.
@Crom Cruach: The last Westminster Election took place after Brexit had passed. SF went to the electorate on a vow to not take their seats, and the SDLP said they would take theirs. SF won 7 seats in their strongest ever election while the SDLP lost all three seats they had held. Irish nationalists and republicans in the six counties have turned their back on Westminster. How do you not get that?
@Tír Eoghain Gael: No need to lecture me on when the elections were, my workplace is a polling station so I’m well aware.
I agree that nationalism largely turned its back on SDLP, but as RHI was being played out the SF/DUP polarisation soaked up most voters. The predictions before the elections were for an increased Tory majority, so the Westminster vote seemed to have little effect in practical terms.
However next general election will have sharpened minds as moderates have had a year of DUP as kingmakers so might be more inclined to vote for a party that will materially affect the Brexit vote.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: shinners only care about money, that is self evident
@Crom Cruach: No harm, Crom, but if you think a party that has been in terminal decline like the SDLP has, is going to somehow recover from the almost fatal blow of losing all its seats (including its two supposed ‘strongholds’) then you are deluded!
@Tír Eoghain Gael: not to mention the west Tyrone by-election a mere 2 months ago. A time when the rhi furore had died down, brexit pandemonium in full swing and Sinn Fein retained the seat with a 7.5k majority.
And could someone please inform mehole that Alasdair McDonnell didn’t lose his seat to SF he lost it to the dup’s Emma L-P.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: I doubt it would recover to 90s levels but don’t think SF can take their new seats for granted either. Voters that have floated to them can float away if there’s a better alternative.
And there’s a rump of voters, me included, who would vote for a united Ireland tomorrow but wholeheartedly disagree with the actions of PIRA in my lifetime. And I’m more in line with the majority in the south than true believer SF republicans in the north.
@Crom Cruach: SF never take their seats for granted. That’s why they produced such a strong showing in the recent West Tyrone by-election (as safe a SF seat as there is anywhere in Ireland).
P.S. I assume you wholeheartedly disagree with the actions of the Old IRA too?
Fianna Fail, the republican party, have had a century to organise in the 6 counties and represent all the people of the nation, as per their usual cant. Needless to say, they abstained in favour of brown envelopes and impoverishing the people of the south. They’re a pointless party but they’re welcome to have a go up here anytime. Wee Michael has a terrible habit of browning his bags whenever it’s suggested. Poor Michael!
They won’t sit in Westminster and won’t sit in Stormont. Having a nice holiday while still getting full salary probably. I wonder have they tried bluffing Irene by saying if you don’t get N/I parliament up and running we will come over there and spoil your cozy number with May. Some of the biggest decisions of our generation being made and they are on the sidelines like stubborn kids
I wouldn’t criticise Sinn Fein not taking up their seats in Westminster. When their candidates stood for election it was understood by voters that they would be abstaining. If this was not to voters liking they could have voted for the SDLP instead.
I have a different problem with Sinn Fein, they stand for very little now, they are trying to rebrand themselves as PC down with the kids type party who will bend over to the EU on everything.
It’s ironic that they have become totally European Unionist, a hard BREXIT would force the EU to undertake some much-needed reforms. Ironically enough if a hard BREXIT finally got through their stated goal of a united Ireland would be a lot closer.
Make no mistake about it if EU officials get favourable BREXIT deal that sees the UK stay and contribute to the EU in all but name they will go all out on further integration economically, culturally and militarily. They already tried to attack our corporation tax rate in the last bailout and will likely do so again.
The trough has been good to mary looper and michelle by the looks of it. The picture of socialism PMLS
@King Billy: just wondering glillhooley, do the SDLP memorise the oath of allegiance or do they read it from a piece of paper.
@Mr Phil Officer: It’s established that MPs can mumble any old stuff and the clerk records them as signed in. English republicans are on record as saying they said it without meaning it.
But sure keep insulting Irish nationalists who try to be productive and not do things the SF way, at the whims of the opinions of former bombers and killers whispering away in the background.
If that shower of two-faced, ditch hurlers, had grown up and had taken their seats, putting country before politics, then BREXIT would look very different this morning.
Ireland First my backside.
What a load of codswallop from f2f no mention of test retiring at 50
Sinn Féin have had a clear policy going back to the 1918 election. The only country they will swear allegiance to is Ireland. They will never ever swear any allegiance to a British monarch who as far as their electorate are concerned has as much right to rule Derry as King Mswata II of Swaziland. You will find that Sinn Féin deputies will not be flying to the parliament building in Lobamba, the legislative capital either. I am sure Mswata and Elizabeth are both nice people to have a pint of a cucumber sandwich with…but Sinn Féin deputies will swear allegiance to Ireland and its people in Ireland and no where else.
No mention of how the DUP are failing to represent the majority of the Norths wishes in this. They’re too busy wagging the dog. God no lets bash the one party keeping their election promise.
Pro EU members of government vote against may and if sf voted she would be defeated,amazing sf avoided to mention this in their comments.
It’s a ridiculous story that the elite & the media are trying to put across that sf can stop brexit & that them sitting in Westminster will do anything if so it’s say a lot about the Irish government.
The only deal that will happen is what Europe & Britain come up with not stormont or the Dail .
They don’t have to take their seats. They could stand.
Crass hypocrisy by FF and FG who have abstained from the north since partition. Organise on an all Ireland basis and participate in elections.
Hardly relevant in this country if politicians in another country refuse to do their job. FF should focus on this country and forget about trying to help those in the UK
I’ll take this seriously when I see FF putting up candidates in NI.
Until then it is mere waffle.
have your say