The number of supporters of Sinn Fein is increasing day after day. The rise in Sinn Fein’s popularity shows that Irish people have become tired of staying within the UK. They are determined to make a united Ireland. They cannot tolerate homelessness, catastrophic cost of living and Brexit-related crises that London’s government has created for them. All these issues show that a united Ireland will take place soon. As Bloomberg says, Sinn Fein has become the biggest party in the North and leads opinion polls in the Irish Republic to the South. That makes its demand for a referendum on unification harder to pay attention to.
Why did Mary Lou McDonald switch to the Republican Sinn Féin?
As Spiegel International say, after a brief membership in Fianna Fáil, Mary Lou McDonald switched to the republican Sinn Féin. She says she did so because it was more steadfast on the issue of Irish unity. In February 2018, she took over Sinn Féin from Gerry Adams.
Rise in Sinn Fein’s popularity: Poll between January 20 and January 25
As RTE says, a new opinion poll suggests increased support for Sinn Féin. However, backing for Fine Gael has dropped. The Red C/Business Post poll puts Sinn Féin at 33%, up 2%, and Fine Gael at 21%, down 3%, versus the poll one month previously. The online survey involving 1,004 adults occurred between Friday, January 20, 2023, and Wednesday, January 25 2023.
Rise in Sinn Fein’s popularity: Poll between 4 and 14 March
Irish Echo says two polls suggest that Sinn Féin is becoming the largest party in government.
A Sunday Times/Behaviour & Attitudes opinion poll shows support for Sinn Féin in the South is up one point to stand at 32 per cent. Support for Fine Gael is 23 per cent (unchanged). Moreover, support for Fianna Fáil is down four points to 20 per cent. They polled on 4 and 14 March with a 3.3 per cent margin of error.
Rise in Sinn Fein’s popularity: Poll between March 28 and April 4
As Irish Examiner says, support for Sinn Féin has broken all previous records in the latest opinion poll. However, the popularity of Fine Gael has taken a significant hit, dropping by eight points to an all-time low. Sinn Féin saw a five-point rise in their approval rating, which brought them to a record high of 37%. Fine Gael fell from 23% last month to just 15%. The Sunday Times/Behaviour & Attitudes polled between March 28 and April 4.
Mary Lou McDonald reached the top of the most popular party leader list at 48%, but Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin fell from 52% to 45%.
Homelessness: A crucial issue
According to Irish Examiner, 57% of people said homelessness and the lack of local authority housing is one of the country’s most important problems.
As the
Sinn Féin website says we need a general election; the sooner, the better. Only a Sinn Féin government will solve the housing problems. It’s time for a change.
Brexit Referendum
Brexit has led to a rise in Sinn Fein’s popularity. According to Washington Post, Sinn Féin gained the most seats in elections to Northern Ireland assembly in 2022. The impetus behind the issue has been growing partly due to the Brexit referendum in 2016. In the referendum, 52% of people in the UK voted to leave the European Union. However, 56% of Northern Irish voters supported remaining. Similarly, in Scotland, a majority also supported EU membership. However, Brexit forced them out of the 27-nation bloc and stirred nationalist sentiment.
Sinn Féin: the United Ireland party
Irish people strongly support a united Ireland, which has led to a rise in Sinn Fein’s popularity. As the Sinn Féin website says, Sinn Féin is the United Ireland party. This is the core political objective of Sinn Féin. The Brexit crisis, social, demographic, and electoral changes in the North have held dialogues about a referendum of unification. A referendum on unification is reachable and winnable. It’s time to determine a date for the referendum on unification and let everyone have their say.
Now, Irish Unity is a doable project.
Referendum on unification
According to Spiegel International, Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald says, “We will see a referendum on unification within the decade”. Mary Lou McDonald’s star is rising in Ireland. This rise could put her in a place to push for reunification with Northern Ireland.
In Ireland, Sinn Féin is polling so far ahead of the competition that a victory in next year’s elections almost seems an inevitable conclusion. That would mean that party head Mary Lou McDonald could become prime minister of Ireland, which puts her in a position to advance the process of Irish reunification.
As Politico says, Belfast’s two leading universities conducted a joint research study. The study finds a plurality of Northern Ireland residents believe they’ll be out of the UK within the next two decades. More people in Northern Ireland now expect to join a united Ireland rather than stay in the UK. Some 45 per cent of people think Northern Ireland will no longer be in the UK 20 years from now. Only 38 per cent think the union with Britain will remain. The survey involved 1,405 people in late 2022.
