Opposition parties question ‘mixed message’ from Sinn Fein after by-elections

Opposition parties have questioned what they said was “a mixed message” from Sinn Fein after the by-election results.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said they “need to iron out what their position is” on several issues, while Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the party had “pivoted rightwards” on migration and climate.

Independent Ireland’s leader Michael Collins said people had felt there is “a mixed message” from Sinn Fein.

Main opposition party Sinn Fein failed to win a seat in either of the two by-elections, despite Dublin Central being the constituency of Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who has topped the poll there since 2016.

Ms Bacik also raised questions about Sinn Fein’s transfers during the count.

On the eighth count in Dublin Central, when Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s 4,466 votes were distributed, Sinn Fein’s Janice Boylan received 1,641 votes, the Social Democrats’ Daniel Ennis received 625 and Janet Horner received 180 votes, with 2,020 votes non-transferrable.

This saw Sinn Fein receive more than two-thirds of Mr Hutch’s transferable vote.

Ms Bacik said she did not see Sinn Fein as a left-wing party and said her party had “significant policy differences with Sinn Fein, as indeed we do with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael”.

“They have pivoted rightwards, particularly on migration, and on climate, and indeed on their taxation policies,” she said.

“We have significant differences with them, I think they have questions to answer after this election frankly, about the transfers holding up.”

Mr Collins said there were “significant differences” between the left-wing parties.

“If you’re from the outside and listening to people, they just feel that there’s a mixed message at the moment in relation to Sinn Fein,” he told RTE’s The Week In Politics.

“That’s not the situation with Independent Ireland, there’s a strong message coming through.”

Ms Cairns said Sinn Fein is a left-wing party “at a crossroads”, highlighting its abstention on voting on the Social Democrats’ reproductive rights Bill in recent weeks.

Asked whether Sinn Fein is a left-wing party, she said: “In many respects they are and they say that they are, I think there are some issues that they need to iron out what their position is on them, but that’s a matter for them.”

She said voters are seeking a more “positive” political offering and that the Social Democrats “never equivocate”.

“I think people are looking for a type of politics that has the courage of its convictions,” she said.

“We never equivocate on issues and people really know where they stand with the Social Democrats.

“I think people more and more are looking for that straight-talking type of politics.”

She encouraged people to vote left and transfer left, and said there is a strong transfer between left candidates in Galway and Dublin but “more can be done on that”.

She added: “Encouraging people to vote left, transfer left ensures a broad left government and then you can pick which party you agree with the most.”

Asked about Sinn Fein’s persuasion, Sinn Fein TD Louise O’Reilly said she comes from a working-class background and the trade union movement.

“I joined a party that is a champion for working class people,” she said.

“We are a left Republican party. We know where we stand, we know what we stand for, but we also are in touch with our own communities.”