President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald
In theory Sinn Féin’s seven *absent* MPs could now hold the balance of power in the House of Commons. Instead their arch rivals in the DUP get to hold the HoC to ransom with a demand that runs contrary to what most in N Ire want. #Brexit really is mad. https://t.co/VHc9KVbVzX
— Kevin Doyle (@KevDoyle_Indo) February 20, 2019
Commons arithmetic now:
Conservative 314
Labour 247
SNP 35
Ind Group 11
Lib Dems 11
DUP 10
SF 7
Plaid Cymru 4
Green 1
Speaker 1
Vacant 1
other inds 8Tories + DUP no longer command absolute majority, but with SF absent and Speakers' deputies non-voting, practical threshold 320
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 20, 2019
FIGHT!
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“I (name of Member) swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”
There wouldn’t be seven SF MPs for much longer if any of them swore the above which is a prerequisite to taking their seat.
Nonsense. Dev managed it. Though that wall in Derry with that and John Hume’s name painted under it..!! Well, hoist by their own pethard.. come on Mary, Eireann go Brath.. let’s save the English twits from themselves and hasten in the united (if federal) Ireland you’ve being fighting for..!!!
De Valera said “I am not prepared to take an oath. I am not going to take an oath. I am prepared to put my name down in this book in order to get permission to go into the Dáil but it has no other significance.”
In parliament, the oath is taken verbally, so they couldn’t sheepishly scratch their names into a book and thunder off to the benches. I imagine that distinction and the thought of them being haunted by a film of them taking the oath looms large.
If there was a vote for the reunification of Ireland in the House of Commons, and the motion was six votes short, should the SF MPs still abstain in these circumstances in order to stay true to their principles?
They could, in good conscience, swear the oath; make the vote; and once NI was no longer part of UK their oath would become void.
One could argue that their constuients would be served better by MP’s actually serving their interests in these times
Unfortunately a hard Brexit is likely to be the catalyst for a united Ireland.
So SF will happily look the other way while the UK goes down the drain – hoping that it may fragment the UK.
but their constituents vote for them, knowing that refusing to take their seats is what they do, so, whilst I think this is daft, and you think it’s daft, plainly their constituents don’t.
It has to be the most consistant example of continued spoiled votes in democracies anywhere. I mean I get it and I understand why it happens but without a functioning assembly SF voters just leave themselves without a voice
They’re not back in Stormont either, are they? I’ve lost track of that story.
Indeed, more like a protest vote. And the shinners in turn protest against taking their seats. One act may cancel out each other but instead of the voting process denying power to the DUP, it does the opposite!
When McGuinness made his maiden speech in the guildhall in Derry he said he hoped they enjoyed it.. the last time he was there he brought the house down..!!!
they’ve no problem receiving expenses with the queens head on it
if they help facilitate a messy hard Brexit, alot of voters in the south will not forget quickly.
They don’t actually get paid for being a MP. A rule was introduced that unless you took the oath you didn’t get the salary.
They do, IIRC, get lots of other allowances.
Well.. who would have thought it would come to this. Big decision coming up.
It doesn’t really work though; Kate Hoey is the DUP member for Vauxhall for a start.
Principles will not wash when others make plans for you
History will remember how Principle by republicans betrayed the republic
The Shinners are no different to the DUP. Prepared to sacrifice the future prospects of the young people of NI for their sectarian obsessions.
The future prospects of young people in NI would be a lot better in a united Ireland within the EU.
Thats probably true, but irrelevant, as both the Shiners and the DUP are at present facilitating Brexit.
Nail meets head, Jake
I understand it has many facets to it and could be a bomb waiting to go off (!) but just to see the look on their faces if it happened would be priceless, especially that Rees-Mogg and Boris spoons.
-are you ESL ? (english second language)
Can you try that again,as the above is complete drivel.The bomb thing is so ugh crawl back onto your bar stool there daddy and bore the a*se off the other day drinking losers.
jimmey russell has a new username!
Howya jimmy, ya dour fecker.
The SF democratically elected representatives who will NOT be swearing any oath to a foreign occupying power are:
Chris Hazard w South Down
Elisha McCallion w Foyle
Francie Molly Mid Ulster
Michelle Gildernew W Fermanagh
Mickey Brady Newry
Orfhlaith Begley West Tyrone
Paul Maskey West Belfast
-see daddy you ‘learnt’ somtin…..go bore some other oul fella.
Thanks jimmey, you’re a good lad when you’re not teeth achingly angry at the world.
And you’re probably not that old, go out and see life, good lad.
This new Blairite group will vote with the government. So the fantasy wishes of Free Staters is irrelevant.
Go on BS, let the Shinners intimate, but censor everyone else.
Politicians say stuff every day of the week they don’t mean. It’s 90% of what the job is. SF have serious leverage right now at Westminster and they should be using it in the Irish national interest. Their MP’s should be capable of mouthing the words while making it clear they don’t mean them.
Could they not just cross their fingers as they were saying it
It’s also a strange kind of moral gymnastics that would permit you to blow up a Tory government but forbid you from lawfully voting one out of office.
If the Queen had nooty-noots she’d be the King. Somebody give that boy a new set of crayons, his old ones must be worn out with this tripe