Preas Ráiteas | Statement

“The Westminster election has exposed the fault lines and fundamentally undemocratic nature of the so-called United Kingdom. While election results need to be treated with caution, it cannot be denied the results point to important shifts in public opinion towards the status quo. The results in the Six Counties and Scotland point to significant shifting of the political sands and should be noted by republicans.

In the context of the Six Counties, an artificially created statelet, gerrymandered to ensure a permanent unionist majority, the fact that for the first time unionists are in the minority in terms of parliamentary representation is a sign of the change in the demographics. These same sectarian demographics, up to now have been used to underpin the Six-County statelet and consequently any change creates real uncertainty about its future viability.

Irish Republicans now have a real opportunity to lead the debate about a New Ireland as an alternative to the clearly failed partitionist states. Talk of reviving Stormont is not the answer. A New and democratic Ireland can never emerge from the institutions of partition.

The Scottish people have also delivered a clear message to the Westminster establishment that they are moving towards support for an independent Scotland and rejecting the British state.

The time is ripe to begin serious discussions about bringing together all sections of the Irish people to create a New Ireland. Such a nation state would be based on the sovereignty of the Irish people and not subject to the whims and political machinations of an alien parliament or government. We believe that Éire Nua provides the basis for such a post British withdrawal Ireland.”

Ends/Críoch

Sinn Féin Poblachtach,

223 Sráid Pharnell, BÁC 1, Éire.

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