Douze Points
So Sinn Féin are wetting themselves with delight at being the Most Popular Party in Ireland.
They’re not.
It’s just that the alternatives are worse. All the same I bet the unionist militants are pretty pissed off and are gathering Semtex and beer kegs just in case the Shinners lose the run of themselves. Ulster Says No and all that shit. I’m thinking of creating a real alternative party. I shall call it “None of the above”. I reckon it would pick up a few votes?
In other news: my little sojourn to the West is cancelled. Bugger! Events dictate it’s not to be. I shall resume daydreaming.
And on a side note I am going to make a wee prediction….
I’m really sticking my neck out here but I am prepared to bet that Ukraine will win this years Eurovision Song Contest next Saturday. I haven’t heard their entry and I’m not even sure if they are competing, but they’ll win anyway, probably with the highest ever score.
Is anyone taking bets?
Sorry the jollies have been zapped – next time maybe. We were almost there with you.
Eurovision will certainly be different, this time they’ll all have one entry to love in common (Ukraine), rather than one to hate in concert (UK) – the UK will still get nul points regardless, but that’s just tradition.
The Sinn Féin rise just means it’s all going to plan, it’s the gestation of the great re-unification plan – conception occurred with the Good Friday Agreement, now it’s the positioning of Sinn Féin as largest party (1st semester), next comes the referendum (2nd semester) then finally the re-birth of a united Ireland (3rd Semester), relief all round. As they used to say in the ‘A Team’, it’s good when a plan comes together. Just hope you’ll all play nicely together when it happens.
Rebirth? There really has not been a united independent Ireland up until now.
Sinn Fein’s gain of 27 seats out of 90 (I make that 30%) corresponds to their vote of 29%.
It is where their ambitions will probably end.
Like all populist groups, Sinn Fein have neither a coherent programme nor a unified electorate. As Boris Johnson has discovered, it is easy to be against something, but not so easy when you have to assume responsibility to actually do something.
Many years ago, probably in depths of “Thu Throubles Part 2” , an Irish friend told me that the worst thing that could happen to the Republic would be to be lumbered with the Six Counties.
And the best thing that the rest of UK could hope for would be the same thing.
Fun Facts:
Over here in Blighty (home of democracy and envy of the world) the name “None of the above” is not allowed as the name of a party on the ballot.
If you write “None of the above” on your ballot paper, your vote will be officially classified as “voter’s intention uncertain”.
“So Sinn Féin are wetting themselves with delight at being the Most Popular Party in Ireland.
“They’re not.
“It’s just that the alternatives are worse.”
What? That doesn’t make sense. If all the alternatives are worse, that means they are the least worst, i.e. the best. Admittedly, they may be the least worst of a bad bunch and their least worstness may be temporary, but they’re the best nonetheless.
I am well aware that Sinn Féin are unlikely to improve things and would probably would make a total bollocks of running the country. Their ideas at election time tend to be populist to the extreme with little planning or even reason behind those plans.
Bill Sticker published a rake of videos on Unintended Consequences which I’m sure could be added to significantly by Sinn Féin. They are well worth watching.
“…Sinn Féin are unlikely to improve things and would probably make a total bollocks of running the country…”
Is there a party anywhere of whom that couldn’t be said?
I’m trying to remember – isn’t Supershadow a supporter of Provisional Sinn Fein?