The decline of SF?

The conflict/war is over for a quarter of a century.

Nobody in the major parties of this state distanced themselves or condemned the violence it took to establish and still don't.

No different to present members of SF.

I skimmed over Mary Lou's letter this evening and thought it was a bit tone deaf. What did ye think?

It came across as "we're listening even though the government isn't"...

But

"We want to provide you the investment and services you need and help you with integration in your community".

Completely ignoring the fact that Coolock clearly wants natural immigration not huge IPA/Asylum complexs especially involving all men.

Don't want to get into that but at this rate I can see SF making slight gains at the next GE especially if they tone back the immigration rhetoric. But as you all know they've missed a golden opportunity to dominate.

She really is some piece of work when you think about it.

Are you expecting SF to ally themselves to those people?
What do you mean by 'fence sitting' otherwise?

The main trouble makers are not from Coolock, they are the same people going from one of these areas to another, always starting problem. As I said on other threads they are well known so just cut off their socail welfare. Taking photos of Garda and then publishing on social medai, asking people to attack them and their family

That is what you are dealing with. Absolute scumbags

Yet MLMD is dog-whistling to them. Strange.

Quite clear now that Sinn Fein are pivoting to the far-right on immigration. Calling for more "consultation" which means a veto, looking for "supports" to local communities as pre-conditions, that take time to be provided etc., are all the things that the far-right have been saying.

for feck sake, sf arent moving to the far right! since theres now a significant anti-immigration movement in place, this is forcing our politics this way, most if not all parties will be implementing some sort of stricter immigration polices, sf will remain more center left aligned in general….

…but dont worry, they aint going into government anytime soon, we will remain with a ffg lead government, possible indefinitely……

Regarding not caring about what anyone else thinks,its not as simple as that

If you get elected in suffecient numbers,what you think IS actually alligned fairly well to the voters who voted you in

Donnchadd o' Laoghaire was terrible on morning Ireland unfortunately when interviewed on SF's 'new' immigration policy

He was basically brought round to wooly padded answers suggesting no change at all ?

No answer to where to put 100's of migrants if local communities say no

Governments dont have the privilege of having no answer

The 6 county border can't be ring fenced but at least with Starmer in power,theres some chance of a return to the agreement where boat people can be returned to France

That would ease our problems greatly

Yeah,but the issue (and not to their liking) is they have to go somewhere and for a government atm,thats not a vote winner

Their best option is to crack on with building more tented facilities off the beaten track and process migrants on site

I said it before the disappointment that there has been no swing to the far right is palpable.
In almost every interview with ordinary decent residents of these communities there has been criticism of the lack of communication and consultation.
Across government opposition parties it is also one of the major criticism's.
The far right are not interested in consultation, they have already gone beyond that point.

The issue I see with planning etc,is all these people are piling in and planning process's take time

Meantime,people have to go somewhere

All parties would be better off bringing in a timed guilitine planning ammendment somewhere for these tented villages

We've no business building anything permanent for asylum seekers

If their application is sucessful,let them join everybody else and earn the money to buy or rent their own house

Thats what I'd be pushing for if I were SF giving everyone a hall pass on the issue and allowing the GE political discourse to return to normal somewhat

All of those are normal

The immigration question is not

We are more used to emigration being an issue

Never saw a political party respond to comments. A party in chaos I’m hearing. Their social media strategy is no longer working for them. The thugs they courted on Facebook during the water charges protest are now the thugs attacking them online. Must be sickening for them to no longer be feared.

there is talk of an election sometime after another one of those budgets that rewards people for not bothering with making any kind of contribution to society - but we surely as a nation can't be taken for that trick again? FF were masters of it back in the day.

I look forward to an election because I think for the first time in a few years, it will give a more accurate read of just where SF are in the whole thing. I wouldnt guarantee they'll get into power - though I hope they try as they did last time but this time get more independent support in order to be effective. I'd love no FF or FG for a change - but we'll see. I really dont want to see SF/FG or FF and def not all three. If it was the case, if SF werent the majority partner then I really would have to reconsider my vote for them

I dont care if SF don't get into power. i think people need to be convinced of what they can do. Theres lots of talk about flip flopping on this that and the other - none of which stands up to actual scrutiny (do your own fact checking). So far I think SF have had an impressive record and they have in general stood by their voters. they also done this through a conflict and brought it from start to finish to the beginnings of a peaceful conclusion. Thats a feck lot more than any party here has done - yet they've never been in power? Think of that logically - like are we stupid as a nation or what? Too afraid to take a chance and too afraid to change yet not happy with the present lineup. Its like having a reoccurring festival with only the same three bands but in different time slots each time.

for a start, I'd love to try the housing idea where the councils themselves go back to either directly employing individual workers, or local contractors to build social housing. The idea of reducing VAT and tax on building materials etc - all makes sense to me.

Politics isnt modular though - you cant say 'change this and everythings fine'. Im interested to see how SF combines different solutions to overall create at least hopefully a better state of affairs than we have now.

we have riots, high prices, low wages, more riots, anger, no housing, immigration issues etc etc. thats pretty **** to be fair. Im absolutely certain a government where SF called the shots would do a way better job. as much as people whinge that they are the largest and wealthiest party - they are the largest and wealthiest party. they didnt do that by being stupid

I wouldnt guarantee they'll get into power - though I hope they try as they did last time but this time get more independent support in order to be effective. 

Not much point 'trying' if, as seems fairly likely at this stage, FF & FG have a majority of seats betwen them,

did we have an election? Did i miss it?

For the the kind of person who goes with the flow and does what they assume everyone else does, that kind of thinking is like a never ending circle

(edit: I am NOT assuming anyone is that kind of person but they exist)

Could explain why we're in the **** we're in mind you

in my eyes, with housing we will not have the finer details unless SF get into power. help to buy might well be a scheme SF have absolutely no use for due to their own, more efficent system. I dont know - none of us EVER know with any political party, but Im sure the detail is there if you go to look for it. I get what they mean and I think its better than whats happening now so I definitely trust them more than FF or FG

But my point again is they might not need it for what they have planned. we just dont have that information - or maybe we do because it doesnt concern me so i havent really checked it

thing is, we dont have that information with any party. and when we do, they never follow through with it. If we get another FG/FF government, then as a nation, we are saying we prefer this wandering around in circles, digging further into a pit. we prefer to be lied to than dare bother trying to change. that's crap life advice, nevermind a political stance

i really dont understand the mindset that thinks the government is by any measure doing any kind of acceptable job at all. As I said on a thread somewhere, I dont really care as long as its not a SF/FF and or FG gov. if the people want more pain and suffering, then by all means let them have it.

the current gov have been keeping themselves afloat as undemocratically as possible. i going to have a bit of faith that people aren't going to keep doing the same thing even though its not working. if they do, they do. if i were a psychologist i would probably find it interesting.

i dont want to make one because no-one ever - unless its a 50/50 two horse race like it has been for a century - can predict what kind of votes SF will get. They get so much stupidly bad press due to the normal cut and thrust of politics with parties, supporters and out right **** stirrers making sure the public are being fed all sorts of rubbish to keep them as pro anyone but SF as they can be. still - it does show that the current government fears them, and that must be for a reason.

The present coalition is the greatest sign you will get that the establishment parties fear change. That century of sham difference put away in a heartbeat to hold onto power.
They seem to have stemmed the flow this time but when the rejection comes, and it will, it is going to be devastating for one or the other of FF and FG or maybe both.