A chara, - I could take issue with many points in Mary Holland's column of January 10th but I will confine myself to one.
Ms Holland writes "even if we accept that it would be, in Mr Adams's words, `preposterous' to expect Sinn Fein to put up candidates basis of taking seats at Westminster, there are alternatives. If this is a step too far, the Sinn Fein leadership should at least be willing to discuss other possibilities that would allow nationalist interests to be more fairly represented at Westminster.
In the first case it is the SDLP which is refusing to discuss these matters, not Sinn Fein.
In the second case it was the SDLP's suggestion that Sinn Fein should stand to one side which Gerry Adams described as "preposterous".
He said: "Sinn Fein has always been prepared to set aside party political advantage where this serves the wider cause of justice and peace but to suggest that we should stand aside for the SDLP is preposterous."
And so it is! - Le meas,
Sinn Fein Press Centre, 51/55 Falls Road, Belfast.