Could Sinn Fein take up Westminster their seats?

For the second time in three elections, Britain finds itself with a hung parliament as no one party secured an overall majority.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams pictured with the late  Martin McGuinness in 2002 at their House of Commons offices. Picture: PASinn Fein President Gerry Adams pictured with the late  Martin McGuinness in 2002 at their House of Commons offices. Picture: PA
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams pictured with the late Martin McGuinness in 2002 at their House of Commons offices. Picture: PA

In 2010, it was the Liberal Democrats who found themselves the willing recipients of overtures from both Labour and the Conservatives.

In the end, and to their electoral detriment, the party chose to go into a formal coalition with the Tories, a decision they insist they won’t repeat after Thursday’s election.

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So it is across the water that Conservative politicians look, as Theresa May seeks a loose arrangement with the Democratic Unionist Party to pass her programme for Government.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams holds a press conference alongside party members at Stormont. Picture: GettySinn Fein president Gerry Adams holds a press conference alongside party members at Stormont. Picture: Getty
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams holds a press conference alongside party members at Stormont. Picture: Getty
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In response, there has been fevered speculation that the DUP’s bitter political rivals in Sinn Fein could end their policy of abstentionism and take their seats to help prop up a potential Jeremy Corbyn led Government.

We look at whether that outcome is likely, or feasible.

Why abstain?

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams holds a press conference alongside party members at Stormont. Picture: GettySinn Fein president Gerry Adams holds a press conference alongside party members at Stormont. Picture: Getty
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams holds a press conference alongside party members at Stormont. Picture: Getty

Sinn Fein’s policy on abstention actually predates the founding of the Republic of Ireland as an independent country.

The Dail Eirann, the chamber of the Irish Parliament, takes its name from the first such body, when Irish MPs elected in 1918 refused to recognise the House of Commons so formed a deliberative body at Mansion House in Dublin.

Sinn Fein, which committed itself to politics after the failed Easter rising in 1916, used the ensuing wave of popularity to win almost two-thirds of the Irish parliamentary seats at the 1918 election.

They convened the effectively rogue parliament in Dublin before being supplanted by the ruling body of the Irish Free State.

Its members abstained from that body, largely due to the controversial oath of allegiance members were expected to swear to the King.

They ended their policy of abstention to the Dail in 1997, and have seen a revival in their electoral fortunes since.

Controversy

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Even British Republican MPs are mandated to take the oath of office when they join the House of Commons.

Some might subtly cross their fingers, or in the case of left-wing Labour MP Dennis Skinner, mumble the pledge to ‘bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.’

The Sinn Fein MPs are an exception to this rule, but that doesn’t mean that they are inactive in their duties, nor that their role is undemocratic.

Politicians from the party are elected with constituents fully briefed on their long-standing non-attendance policy.

A number of controversies have since arisen, however.

After the peace process, a rule change allowed the Sinn Fein MPs to use parliamentary offices and allowances, despite not taking their seats.

This was met with fury by Conservatives, who said that it amounted to Irish Republicans having a ‘state-funded propaganda office’.

That reared its head again when it emerged at the height of the 2009 expenses scandal that the party’s representatives had claimed around £500,000 in second home allowances.

Justified fear?

A number of Tory-leaning newspapers are again raising the spectre that Gerry Adams’ party could end their long-standing policy.

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The coalition of chaos that David Cameron and his successor Theresa May warned about usually includes some mention of Sinn Fein.

But the basic fact remains that the party doesn’t just refuse to take their seats because they are being awkward.

Like their forebears 100 years ago, they don’t recognise the authority of the British Parliament, and are elected with this in mind.

This was never more apparent than when Gerry Adams resigned from the House of Commons via a letter to the Speaker.

As MPs technically need to apply for an old-fashioned position to resign (Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds is the most common), many sniggered at David Cameron’s announcement that Mr Adams had become a paid office of the Crown.

Mr Adams was furious, and said at the time: “As Irish republicans we gave no time for antiquated and ridiculous titles of the British parliamentary system then and this remains the situation.”

Downing Street later apologised.

This disdain for parliamentary procedure hasn’t softened even through the Northern Ireland peace process, and Sinn Fein reject any suggestion that they could be set to end their long standing policy.

Sinn Fein might be shrewd negotiators, and willing to sacrifice much for their aim of a so-called Border poll on Irish unity, but taking their seats in the House of Commons is almost certainly a bridge too far.