Sir, – Further to your editorial of April 16th ("Could Varadkar and Sinn Fééin do a deal?"), Sinn Féin has shed its more belligerent aspects and is now in effect the party of the young and the female electorate. Its leaders, North and South, are both women, and it has a plethora of other impressively articulate advocates of that sex both at home and in the European Parliament. It is by far the most socially liberal party, with its stance on LGBT rights, abortion rights and social housing.
Leo Varadkar is a refreshingly forward-thinking politician and his impressively combative attitude to the Tories and the DUP on Brexit have had the effect of propelling his traditionally conservative Fine Gael party to the forefront of new and exciting ways of thinking, as evidenced by his strong lead in the polls. By contrast Fianna Fáil’s leadership appears curmudgeonly, cautious and and unimaginative.
Sooner or later Sinn Féin will have to be admitted to the fold of governance in the South as it has been for 20 years in the North. This is no more than the same respect and accommodation accorded to the two original revolutionary parties, Fine Fáil and Fine Gael when they chose the path of the ballot box over the rifle nearly 100 years ago. – Yours, etc,
MAURICE
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O’CALLAGHAN,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.