Surge to Sinn Féin in Six Counties
BY ROBBIE MacGABHANN
| |
The Sinn Féin vote has grown in every election since June 1994... the
117,643 votes won by Mitchel Mac Laughlin gave the party a vote total of
17.3%
|
Isn't it funny how dates change but things stay the same. In June 1994,
Sinn Féin was taking huge risks in pushing the party's peace strategy.
Nearly a year on from the Hume Adams Declaration, the party was still
attempting to create the conditions for a lasting peace.
In June 1999, Sinn Féin finds itself in a similar position to 1994. Having
taken a political risk by comprising on some substantial issues in the Good
Friday Agreement, the party and its supporters find themselves as in mid
1994 in limbo, waiting for others to match the Sinn Féin commitment.
The Sinn Féin vote has grown in every election since June 1994, as can be
evidenced in the change in vote share between then and now. In 1994, Sinn
Féin polled 55,215 votes winning 9.86% of the poll. This time around, the
117,643 votes won by Mitchel McLaughlin gave the party a vote total of
17.3%, less than 2,000 votes behind the Ulster Unionists.
Sinn Féin's performance this time around is all the more remarkable given
the `beauty contest' nature of the EU election, which encourages
presidential-style campaigns. Both John Hume and Ian Paisley have
historically produced personal performances in EU elections that are rarely
matched by their parties.
Indeed, the difference in performance by Paisley compared to the DUP is
striking. In the 1998 Assembly elections, the DUP polled only 18.1% of
first preferences. The increased vote share of 28% in the EU elections this
time around is not really significant of any swing to Paisley. In fact his
EU vote share has been slipping constantly.
The UUP vote drop from 21.3% last year to 17.6% this time around is more
difficult to gauge. There has definitely been a slippage in the UUP vote.
Nicholson took 23.8% of the first preferences in 1994.
The Alliance vote has effectively collapsed. They took 6.5% of first
preferences in 1998. This time around they only polled 2.1% with Seán
Neeson as the candidate. Robert MacCartney's UK Unionists fared little
better. His 20,2823 votes amounted to just under 3% of first preferences.
McCartney's support has not moved outside his North Down stronghold.
In this context, Sinn Féin's performance is all the more remarkable. The
party has almost matched its record assembly vote share of 1998 without
indulging in the personality politics.
Sinn Féin's vote share in 1994 was used to deride the party's peace
strategy. Now with that peace strategy in place, surely the increased
showing at the polls should be interpreted as an endorsement of the Sinn
Féin position at the talks. The people have spoken for peace with a
majority of more than two to one in favour of the Good Friday Agreement.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)