Sinn Féin defends its refusal to take seats in the House of Commons

Sinn Féin has defended its Westminster abstentionist policy in advance of tomorrow's elections.

The defence comes amid criticism of the party from several Northern Ireland politicians who have claimed Sinn Féin is relinquishing influence in the House of Commons where the Conservative "austerity policy" was decided.

First Minister Peter Robinson and the DUP in this election campaign have majored on the possibility of DUP MPs helping decide whether Conservative leader David Cameron or Labour leader Ed Miliband will be next British prime minister in the event of a hung parliament.

A spokesman for Sinn Féin, which could win five or six of Northern Ireland’s 18 seats at Westminster, said that there would be no change in the party’s policy on abstentionism.

"As Irish republicans we do not take our seats in the British parliament. That remains our position and our party leader, Gerry Adams, has made that absolutely clear," he said.

“Sinn Féin operates a policy of active abstentionism. Our MPs work hard on a daily basis for their constituents and regularly travel to London for meetings and briefings with MPs from a range of parties, trade unions and other groups.”

The spokesman said “all of the major gains and advances made in the last 20 years in the course of the development of the peace and political processes have come about as a result of direct negotiations between republicans, the British government and others”.

“They did not come from the benches at Westminster,” he added.

“Sinn Féin is challenging austerity where it matters, in direct negotiations with the British government.”