Sinn Féin looks to put three bad elections behind it

Good morning.

It’s quiet(ish) in Leinster House these days, but the general election campaign is cranking up in the North, and across the rest of the UK.

Sinn Féin launched its campaign in north Belfast yesterday, where it hopes Belfast lord mayor John Finucane can take the seat held by the DUP’s deputy leader, Nigel Dodds. That would be quite a scalp.

Finucane's cause has been aided by the SDLP, which has decided not to run a candidate in the constituency - because of Brexit, it says - but many unionists spy an "us-versus-them" election. The Ulster Unionist Party has also pulled out.

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Yesterday, at the launch with party leader Mary Lou McDonald, in front of “Time for Unity” banners, Finucane said he hoped to join the “proudly abstentionist” Sinn Féin MPs who are not at Westminster.

Gerry Moriarty's report is here.

But as Fintan O'Toole points out today, by standing aside in some constituencies and asking its voters to support anti-Brexit candidates, Sinn Féin has left its abstentionist policy in tatters. Anyway, it has already lobbied the British government to legislate for the North on abortion and same-sex marriage.

So, Fintan asks, what would Sinn Féin do if Jeremy Corbyn, seeking its votes to become prime minister, was to offer the party a Border poll in return? Would the party take its seats to vote for him? Perhaps the voters should be told.

A related question than Fintan doesn’t ask: what would the Irish Government do then?

Nonetheless, the election is an opportunity for Sinn Féin to put three bad elections - in the presidential, local and European contests - behind it and rejuvenate its morale in advance of a 2020 Dáil election. The party gathers in Derry this weekend for its ardfheis.

Elsewhere in the British election yesterday, the big news was Nigel Farage pulled all his candidates who are running against Conservative MPs. As Denis Staunton notes in his analysis, this will assist the Tories under pressure from Liberal Democrats in the south of England.

However, Boris Johnson needs to win a clatter of Labour seats in the north too, where the Brexit Party is standing against Labour - although Farage may well decide to withdraw from some or all of those, too. After all, what's the difference? Mind you, for all the Tory raa-raa-ing last night, Katy Balls in the Spectator is cautious.

Meanwhile, down south

Politics around Leinster House is less combustible right now, as the realisation there won’t be an election before Christmas has rather taken the fizz out of things.

Fine Gaelers were giving out about Micheal Martin's presumption at calling for an agreed winding down of the Government before an election next year (carried in an interview with Fiach Kelly on our inside Politics podcast), although there's not much difference with what Leo Varadkar has been seeking since the summer of last year.

And the same Government types are enjoying Fianna Fáil's latest episode of discomfort, this time courtesy of byelection candidate Lorraine Clifford-Lee, whose ill-advised tweets about Travellers and vertically challenged, red-haired Brazilians (yes) somehow found their way into the public domain. (the Indo has been enjoying itself with the story).

But much as FGers may honk and huzzah about this sort of thing, the fact is they are facing four difficult byelections and a winter of discontent in hospitals and on homelessness. And these issues are likely to matter more than LCL’s tweets.

Among the issues TDs often cite is the cost of living. TDs serving constituencies in the Dublin City Council area will not therefore be thrilled to hear Dubliners are to be faced with increased parking charges, tolls, commercial rates and social housing rents, according to the council's proposed budget. Olivia Kelly has the story, our lead today. There will be a massive stink over this.

Best reads

Isis recruit Lisa Smith will soon be on her way home.

Micheál Martin isn't clear if there are alternatives to direct provision for asylum seekers, he tells Fiach Kelly.

Paul Cullen on new rules for warning parents about the limitations of pre-natal tests and the fallout from a tragic case at Holles Street.

This is an important piece by Simon Carswell, collating the history of the attacks against the Quinn Group.

Laura Slattery takes Fine Gael to task for its attitude to public service broadcasting.

Mr Justice Richard Humphreys took quite a swipe at the Government yesterday in delivering judgment on costs in a complicated deportation case, while referencing Greek philosophy and Japanese kabuki theatre. We shall have to keep an eye on this Humphreys, formerly (would you believe) a Labour Party councillor.

Playbook

The Cabinet assembles this morning at Government Buildings for its weekly meeting.

Later there’s a busy Dáil schedule that includes Leaders’ Questions, Taoiseach’s questions and foreign affairs questions, while Fianna Fáil has a Private Members’ motion on the Shane O’Farrell case.

Travellers’ representatives are at the joint committee on Travellers’ issues, while Paschal Donohoe appears before the budget oversight committee.

Full details of all Oireachtas business today and for the week ahead can be found at oireachtas.ie.

Elsewhere People Before Profit are launching a “Green New Deal” - a manifesto for “eco-socialism”, no less.

Meanwhile, the President is hosting a seminar on “Rethinking the role of the state in fostering a sustainable and inclusive economy”. Well, it’s a catchy title anyway, even if there’s no overt mention of eco-socialism. We’ll keep you up to date, as ever. And even if you’re not going to the Áras, do try have a truly fruity day.