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Why Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams should now enter British parliament

By
NIALL O'DOWD,
Published Monday, May 10, 2010, 3:30 PM
Updated Monday, May 10, 2010, 6:47 PM

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Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams


Sinn Fein should consider  entering the British parliament in order to help create a progressive government in Britain given today's turn of events.

With Liberal Democrats leader David Clegg now turning away from the Torys and looking to join a Labor-led government the numbers come up very tight for any new political combination. Gordon Brown will step down and there will be a new Labor leader

Currently, the Sinn Fein party is abstaining because of the oath of loyalty to the Queen, but there comes a time when you are either in or out of the political game, especially as they could use their negotiating power to neutralize that oath for them in future elections.

If the Lib Dems and Labor join together with the Scottish nationalist, Welsh Nationalists, SDLP in Northern Ireland and  a few others they eke out a bare majority.

In that case the Conservatives will be close behind with the Democratic Unionist Party no doubt on board with them.

Sinn Fein has five votes that could prove critical in stabilizing that progressive government.

Gordon Brown will no longer be Prime Minister but the Labor party has been outstanding under both him and his predecessor Tony Blair in creating the peace settlement in Northern Ireland.

The Sinn Fein leadership could take the oath and enter parliament with an understanding that the issue of the oath will  dealt with in the near term by the next election by the new Labor /Liberal government.

When if ever could Sinn Fein votes be as important in shaping the future of Northern Ireland and making the Irish peace process a full reality?

The time is now to take that step.

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32 Comments

15 - 32 | See all comments

Realist | May 13, 2010, 02:00 PM EDT
CanadianPat: Lol....do you have reading difficulties?

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CanadianPat | May 13, 2010, 11:43 AM EDT
Johntobin,and Realist;Some Americans Join Al-Qa'ida whats your point?

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JOHNTOBIN | May 13, 2010, 05:33 AM EDT
All this talk about not wanting to swear allegiance to the British monarch is ironic considering that in past years Irish citizens were quite prepared to migrate to the United Kingdom in search of a better standard of living and employment.

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Realist | May 12, 2010, 07:24 PM EDT
maureenroy: "No one who is Irish wants anything to do with the queen."? Really? The same 'high' principles don't seem to prevent the most ardent Irish Republicans from accepting money with her head on it though....lol. How many people from Northern Ireland hold MBEs, OBEs, CBEs, and knighthoods gifted by HM Queen Elizabeth? Come along now folks, do me a favour. Some of us weren't born yesterday y'know.

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rosks304 | May 12, 2010, 01:55 PM EDT
If Sinn Fein and G.Adams join the Brit Government then none of us will know where the Terrorists are,Syria Iran or Britain?????

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Searlit | May 12, 2010, 10:47 AM EDT
I can see the political pressure for this to happen, but I don't think it's a good move for Sinn Fein. It's all about Independence. The Irish have suffered much and fought too long to keep a monarch from having sway.

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emmettkelly | May 11, 2010, 10:25 PM EDT
As soon as Adams started talking about uniting to oppose a cut in finances to the North, I knew what was next. The Shinners have NO shame-they won't be happy until they're a part of the British Government. Mark my words-they're going to try and talk the rank and file into dropping abstention just like they talked them into giving up the constitutuional claim to the 6 counties. Wake up Irish Republicans-the writings on the wall! Will YOU take the oath if Adams asks you to?

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Roy6319 | May 11, 2010, 10:04 PM EDT
Plastic Paddy, Please check your facts> Bobby Sands was the OC of IRA prisoners. I doubt he would have any truck with those swearing to an oath to a foreign monarchy that he gave his life fighting against.

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plasticpaddy | May 11, 2010, 09:00 PM EDT
Well Bobby Sands wasn't a sinn Fein or IRA member, he was a member of the INLA, so thats irrelevant, they split off!

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maureenroy | May 11, 2010, 08:22 PM EDT
I think they should take the oath to the queen out. We did not work this hard to become part of the British world but to get them out of ours. No one who is Irish wants anything to do with the queen. God Save Ireland!

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BillMcGowan | May 11, 2010, 07:45 PM EDT
This would have Bobby Sands spinning in his grave...are you for real? The minute Sinn Fein takes an oath to the British Queen the GFA will be a sham in the eyes of Irish Republicans.

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Roy6319 | May 11, 2010, 07:11 PM EDT
The reason given by Sinn Fein for entering Stormont and for preening Policing and Justice away from London is to concentrate the centre of politics on Irish soil. Supporting the partitionist PSNI is a pill most of us still can't stomach, but swearing allegiance to the English Queen is like spitting on the graves of all of our patriotic dead. Irish Republicans want less British involvement, not more. If you are putting this garbage out to test US public opinion, then the answer is Absolutely Not!! If you want to swell the ranks of Anti Agreement Republicans, go ahead with the plan to swear allegiance to The English Queen.

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GraydonWilson | May 11, 2010, 06:36 PM EDT
Is John Spain now impersonating Neill O'Dowd, palming off his tripe under a respectable byline? That's the only way I can understand this absurd argument. The essence of the argument presented here is that Sinn Féin ought to be trying to help the English government. But even John Spain knows that Sinn Féin's brief is Ireland. It is the end of England's occupation of Ireland that Sinn Féin works for, and to aid and assist the people of Ireland. The obnoxious oath to Mrs. Windsor is a collateral issue. No Republican should ever sit in the English Parliament.

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ritmomente | May 11, 2010, 04:40 PM EDT
What a great idea....instead of all the momentum towards home rule....just throw it all away and bow to the queen.

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CanadianPat | May 11, 2010, 04:35 PM EDT
Jacersisityourself,Your name says it all! By and by,I am no common weasel of the British Crown or any other Crown for that matter ,maybe you are!Niall helps runs this web site, that he allows us to voice our difference is to his credit. I know deep in my old fenian heart that he is so very wrong in this matter, tempting as it may be to try and take advantage of the situation in Britain it would lead to disaster and at any rate the Brits would never let it happen.My earlier comment about the joker was over the top ,and for that I am sorry.

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