WHY SINN FEIN HAS BECOME THE DOMINANT NATIONALIST PARTY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Question 1

STRATEGIC SHIFT

Answer 1

-Original policies of armed conflict to constitutional politics “Armalite to ballot box”
-SF worked with the IRA to achieve decommissioning
-Prepared to take seats in the NIA but not Westminster

Question 2

INCLUSION AND EQUALITY

Answer 2

-Female leadership - Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald
-15 Female MLAs out of 27, over half
-Popular among young voters
-Pro Abortion (under certain circumstances) and Pro Gay Marriage
-Activist and Grassroot support
-Freeze student fees

Question 3

STRONG SF LEADERSHIP

Answer 3

-Minimal changes in leadership
-Gerry Adams & Martin McGuiness replaced by Michelle O’Neill & Mary Lou McDonald
-Change in leadership also seen as progression within the party due to IRA and paramilitary links of predecessors

EXAMPLE - Voter Management in West Tyrone
Nicola Brogan (8,626 Votes)
Maolíosa McHugh (6,658 Votes)
Declan McAleer (6,343 Votes)

-Only party with seats in both NI and RoI

Question 4

CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGACY ISSUES

Answer 4

-Support the Parades Commission
-Support restrictions on flying of the Union and Paramilitary Flags
-Support Irish Language
EXAMPLE - MLA Gildernew urged Communities Minster Lyon’s to commit to an Irish Language Strategy 2025

-Want a pension for all injured from conflict including those carrying out terrorism
-Supports broad term of ‘Victim’
- gives recognition to those affected by state and paramilitary violence
EXAMPLE - Vetoes UUP amendment to the bill defining a victim as only those affected 2009

Question 5

RISE OF UNIONISM

Answer 5

-Response to the rise of the DUP
-Inability to replicate the ‘Chuckle Brother’ of Ian Paisley Snr.& Martin McGuinness with
Peter Robinson or Arlene Foster
EXAMPLE - Arlene Foster on Sinn Fein in 2017 ‘If you feed a crocodile it will keep coming back for more’
EXAMPLE - ‘Curry my yogurt’ Gregory Campbell in 2014 about the Irish Language

Question 6

FAILURE OF SDLP

Answer 6

Failure of organisation, Catholic conservatism and its complacency
in taking the Nationalist vote for granted

LEADERSHIP
Continual leadership changes compared to SF: Gerry Fit, John Hume, Mark
Durkan, Margaret Ritchie, Alasdair McDonnell, Colum Eastwood, & Claire Hanna
‘Catholic middle-class middle-aged men’
- Emma DeSouza Political Commentator 2023 2 out of 8 MLAs are female

POLICIES
Hume allowed SF to enter the GFA talks. Achieved its goal of GFA,what had
it left?
SF have ‘stolen the clothes’ of the SDLPs back
Policies seen as too broad and Failure to utilise the Official Opposition
EXAMPLE - Created in 2016 but has only had its chance to utilise this position since 2022 under Matthew O’Toole
EXAMPLE - Rick Wilford - Describes the SDLP as ‘Luke warm’