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In
the immediate aftermath of the Republic’s General
Election there was a brief flurry of speculation on
possible re-alignments and mergers in the Irish political
scene. One of the possibilities was a link-up and
formal merger between the northern SDLP and one of
the southern parties. Recent articles in the Derry
Journal and other Derry-based newspapers have
brought this issue to the fore once more - only this
time with the finger pointed firmly at Fianna Fáil
as the prospective partner. According to these reports,
some preliminary discussions have already taken place.
The
whole thing could, of course, be mere silly season
idle speculation by bored journalists. Or even a deliberate
smokescreen erected to distract us all from whatever
is actually going on, for the conspirologists out
there. But let us, for the purposes of this article,
assume that something is indeed afoot, and the SDLP
and Fianna Fáil are considering climbing into
bed together.
For
the SDLP the attractions are obvious. FF’s fundraising
and electoral machines are the stuff of legend, and
an injection of Soldier of Destiny professional know-how
into the SDLPs creaky and amateurish, shambolic set-up
can only be good for the party. Being part of the
real party of power in the Republic is a powerful
counter-argument to SF’s all-island pretensions
- because after all SF do not, in reality, have any
power in the Republic, whereas Fianna Fáil
unarguably are the south’s “natural party
of Government”. Such a monolithic centrist/centre-right
all-Ireland party would probably do much to halt and
even reverse the recent flight of the northern Nationalist
middle-class to Sinn Féin. As a downside, at
least initially, marrying FF would cause those small
but growing numbers of middle-class Unionists who
currently, cautiously, give the SDLP at least a transfer
or two to flee back into the dead embrace of the UUP.
For
Fianna Fáil, the exact same fear drives this
move - fear of SF. Even though the last election showed
that SF, in the Republic, are busily hoovering up
the disaffected and disadvantaged vote and have little
middle-class support, Fianna Fáil at heart
remains terrified of the Shinners. Witness recent
party posters - “Fianna Fáil, The Real
Republican Party”. Would this make the PDs or
Fine Gael the Continuity Republican Party, I wonder?
FF
hope that a merger with the SDLP would shore up their
“Republican” credentials with their own
grassroots (staving off any defections to SF) by actually
being seen to be doing something about Unification.
All SF’s carefully-constructed rhetoric about
“seizing power on both sides of the border”
and by so doing driving Ireland “inevitably”
towards Unification would collapse - with powerfully
destabilizing effects on their grassroots,
many of whom believe that this is The Plan that justifies
the ritual slaughter of herds of sacred cows.
A
FF/SDLP merger would probably deliver a Unification
of sorts eventually. But it is hardly likely to be
a Unification to the taste of many in the radical/progressive
wings of SF - or any of the rest of us for that matter.
A mildly right-of-centre supremely “pragmatic”
capitalistic tax haven playing Boston against Berlin
for 30 pieces of silver is the inevitable result of
allowing the forces of conservatism to dominate the
political playing field, and the moves towards ending
Partition. I have to note that, over time, such an
agenda could possibly win back and win over more middle-class
Unionists than would flee from the initial shock,
and indeed the SDLP may be counting on this.
So
what is to be done? How can those of us who wish to
see a caring, sharing, tolerant, richly diverse, socially
progressive and internationally responsible Ireland
prevent the forces of narrow, cynical, dog-eat-dog
capitalist conservatism from railroading through their
deeply destructive vision?
Any
social democratic tendencies the SDLP still possess
will be consumed by a merger with FF. Those social
democrats will need a home. But it will not be found
in Sinn Féin while that party continues its
dogmatic “One True Church” fanaticism and
arrogance towards all other organisations and groupings
on the island. If SF are to play a useful role in
reconstructing Ireland they need to drop the pretence
and self-image as the sole inheritors of Revealed
Truth; recognise that there are many political groupings
out there with valid philosophies, platforms and policies
of their own; and take their place as one of
a range of progressive groupings (albeit one of the
largest) looking to make Ireland a better place for
all her people - not just the True Believers.
Many
of SF’s opponents, especially in the mainstream
parties, continually concentrate on SF’s links
to the Provisionals. This link, they claim, is where
SF’s transition to “democracy” will
be measured. They are missing the point, and merely
handing SF a propoganda tool to use on the more gullible
voters - “Poor us, persecuted for events we have
no control over. It’s because we’re right
you know, they have to try and silence us to keep
control…” Yes, the MOPE Complex is alive
and kicking, it has just transmuted into a more subtle
form within SF.
The
true test of whether Sinn Féin has come to
terms with the whole concept of democracy lies in
its relationship to and behaviour towards other (non-violent)
groupings and parties. Can SF ever reach the point
where it can comfortably work together with other
oppositional groups on some common goal while respecting
their rights to their own platforms? Or must they
continually try to play Big Brother, censuring and
hectoring and bullying others into accepting that
only SF knows The Way? Maligning, harassing, intimidating
opponents? Dropping mob-rule boot-boy tactics in favour,
solely, of reasoned argument?
Only
then will SF have come to understand democracy. Only
then will all the groups opposed to jungle capitalism
be able to come together and work constructively on
changing the course of Irish history and society.
Away from vicious, heartless, ruthless winner-takes-all
competition and ever more centralised power; and towards
functioning, balanced communities with control over
their own affairs, looking out for the disadvantaged
and the weak. The game being played out in the coming
years will have long and far-reaching consequences
for all the children of the nation - and at the moment
it is the forces of conservatism that hold the best
cards.
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