SF lose Commons allowances

Slutmonkey57b

Well SF has been suspended from claiming parliamentary allowances for offices, staff salaries and travel costs for a year after the Independant Monitoring Commission lambasted them in a report on the NIB robbery. Moves are also afoot to strip SF MEP's of the same allowances. Looks like the fallout from the bank jobs starts in earnest now, although frankly I've always found it a bit ridiculous that SF were allowed to claim government money when refusing to swear the oath or recognise the parliament of the country whose money they were happy to take.

Wonder what spin will be put on this by the Shinners or will we just get the usual dark warnings of how the British Government is putting the peace process in jeopardy (by having the temerity to ask participants not to be thieving criminals for example)

Also of interest is the free boost this is giving to the equally deranged DUP. SF have really walked into this and given the DUP free confirmation of just about everything that Paisley has ever claimed about them, which isn't going to be good for any side. Where's Hume when you need him...

ReefBreak

Sinn Féin made a statement saying how it was blah blah blah. Who really gives a shít what they have to say these days. I also find it ridiculous that the Shinners are quick to claim an allowance from a parliment that they insist on boycotting. But that's the Shinners for you: hypocrites through and through.

AmenToThat

ReefBreak wrote:

Sinn Féin made a statement saying how it was blah blah blah. Who really gives a shít what they have to say these days.

Lots of people it seems.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1435903,00.html

Opinion polls in Ireland would suggest that people arent being swayed by the media campaign and are staying with SF.
Its wishfull thinking on the part of many within the media and political circles that SF have been stopped in their tracks by recent events.

Villain

While the decision is a blow to Sinn Fein, I don't believe it will affect the party to any great extent. Sinn Fein are believed to the wealthiest party in Ireland and the UK so any financial fallout will me be very minor.

What is interesting is the fact the British Government have denied the Irish governments appeal for no sanctions.

Rock Climber

AmenToThat wrote:

Opinion polls in Ireland would suggest that people arent being swayed by the media campaign and are staying with SF.
Its wishfull thinking on the part of many within the media and political circles that SF have been stopped in their tracks by recent events.

Well I'd have thought they suggested that it had stopped growing.
It's not difficult to hold on to your core support when you send a team of helpers out to a house to fix its eve gutters when your constituent cant afford to repair them himself... Thats how SF work,you wouldnt see FF or labour doing that, they look after their in the main disadvantaged voters.
Somebody has to and fair play to them on the ground for doing that.

Growth? well thats been severely damaged and if SF want to grow its time they woke up to that and sorted their IRA bully boy cousins out.

Slutmonkey57b

irish1 wrote:

Sinn Fein are believed to the wealthiest party in Ireland and the UK so any financial fallout will me be very minor.

Care to speculate why that might be the case?

Roisin Dubh

Slutmonkey57b wrote:

Care to speculate why that might be the case?

FTA69

While the decision is a blow to Sinn Fein, I don't believe it will affect the party to any great extent. Sinn Fein are believed to the wealthiest party in Ireland and the UK so any financial fallout will me be very minor.

This "richest party" business is but another lie peddled by certain parties and certain newspapers and nothing has been proved to substantiate this claim at all. I'd nearly believe it if I wasn't continuously annoying my family and (few remaining) friends with tickets for raffles and functions and so on. I also wonder what claim of legitimacy does a British politician with no mandate from anyone have to penalise an Irish party over unsubstantiated claims made against another organisation.

What is interesting is the fact the British Government have denied the Irish governments appeal for no sanctions.

Well it just goes to show how the Dublin government is looked upon by the brits. The so-called "Republican party" should be agitating to make itself an equal partner within this process as opposed to a junior one who is ignored every time it suits the brits to do so.

BuffyBot

I also wonder what claim of legitimacy does a British politician with no mandate from anyone have to penalise an Irish party over unsubstantiated claims made against another organisation.

Well, SF are claiming their money while not recognising the parliament they're getting it from so let's not forget there are two sets of grey area's here...

FTA69

Point taken, personally I see no problem with the fact that if the brits have signed themselves into an agreement which results in them paying their opponents, that is good for us. However, since we abstain from Westminister I also care little for their allowances etc.

However, Paul Murphy has also removed Sinn Féin's Stormont funding, a body elected and participated in by Irish people so my original point still stands.

Cork

SF/IRA are awash with finance.

The Irish Governmnent should impose financial and other sanctions on SF.

If the government imposed sanctions - SF would play the victim card.

The Green Party should pull out of the Dail technical grouping.

Let SF rid itself of links to the IRA before any funding is restored.

Villain

Sinn Fein's books are open to inspection I have discussed this issue in the past: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=218702

Rock Climber

irish1 wrote:

Sinn Fein are believed to the wealthiest party in Ireland and the UK so any financial fallout will me be very minor.

They are indeed an example to behold...
they are wealthier than all the other parties apparently even though the other parties get plenty of corporate donations...

Do you know if money from the U.S is included in this? They would want to be carefull with their IRA links as Bush could cut that flow off in one second and he's already got a dim enough view of SF given that he's decided on account of the Northern robbery not to invite any Irish politician to the whitehouse this year bar the Taoiseach.

By the way I wonder do SF pay cash for some of their election posters

Villain

Not sure what your asking Rock Climber, Is the US money included in their books? Yes.

Rock Climber

oh right-they'd want to be carefull then with the IRA links-the whitehouse non invite this year is foreboding in that respect.
To lose UK money is sore enough but to lose U.S money because they píss off post 9-11 America would be very painfull...there'd be less money for those constituents evegutters.

Villain

From BreakingNews.ie

Adams in America to begin tour ahead of St Patrick’s Day
12/03/2005 - 09:51:14

Gerry Adams will start a tour of the US today that will see him meeting many members of the Irish-American community ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day.

The Sinn Féin President will speak to a number of political leaders and government officials. However, he has not been invited to Thursday's celebrations at the White House.

He will visit New York, Washington, Cincinnati, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Cleveland.

I don't believe Bush will put a stop to the SF fundraising, SF's support in America is very strong and I have said recently IMO their support will grow stronger when the IRA ceases all activities.

Cork

irish1 wrote:

Sinn Fein's books are open to inspection

& Adams has never been in the IRA.

This is a party is said to be opposed to bto the British presence in this country. It has no problem with claiming expenses for a Westminister office.

It is laughable seeing them making a song & dance out of this one.

bonkey

ReefBreak wrote:

Who really gives a shít what they have to say these days.

At a guess, you do, because you always seem to be amongst the first to pass comment on it every single time.

Or do you just pass comment blindly without actually listening to what they're saying and/or seeing what they're doing - in effect commenting from a position where you don't know what you're talking about?

We shouldn't confuse approval and interest. You, at the very least, care very much what they say if only because you want to throw it back in their face.

jc

Sand

The British should go a step further and make common allowances and "perks" like offices dependant on the MPs making some minimum appearances. That should put paid to SF/IRA funding from that source, and they cant complain about it without looking like hypocrites. Every possible opportunity to undermine these terrorist's financial network should be exploited. SF/IRA shouldnt be given the time of day when they refuse to maintain the standards expected of a democratic party. I dont see why democratic institutions should fund groups dedicated to their subversive overthrow.

I don't believe Bush will put a stop to the SF fundraising, SF's support in America is very strong and I have said recently IMO their support will grow stronger when the IRA ceases all activities.

The guy has a terrifying view of the world - With me or Against Me, Right or Wrong and so on. Its a tad refreshing compared to what were used to over here, where politicians justify selling their grandmothers into slavery for the sake of the holy, hallowed be thy name, peace proccess. If the McCartney sisters make any sort of impression on the Irish American politicians - theyre already demanding that the IRA go away, not at some point in the undefined future as part of a bargain, but NOW - then theres the frightening prospect for SF/IRA that the redneck hick might include them on the list of "bad" people. One way trip to Gitmo for Grizzly?

However, Paul Murphy has also removed Sinn Féin's Stormont funding, a body elected and participated in by Irish people so my original point still stands.

Its a devolved British legislature for the region. Whilst Im sure some Irish citizens are involved in it given the geography, Id be of the opinion that its juristiction and mandate resides entirely within the Northern Ireland, a component of the United Kingdom. It certainly has no right or mandate in the Republic. The same standards that apply for Westminster should apply for Stormont as a minimum. I know that goes against the SF/IRA dreams of a mafia state like something out of the Caucuses, where they control both the crinimals and the police, but the citizens of the UK deserve the same standards and confidence in their government, whether they reside in Kent or Derry.

cdebru

irish1 wrote:

While the decision is a blow to Sinn Fein, I don't believe it will affect the party to any great extent. Sinn Fein are believed to the wealthiest party in Ireland and the UK so any financial fallout will me be very minor.

What is interesting is the fact the British Government have denied the Irish governments appeal for no sanctions.

sinn fein are not the weathiest party in the ireland nevermind the UK

look at there income and expenditure and compare it to FF FG Labour they are miles behind them
never mind massive parties like the british labour party and the tories

MadsL

sinn fein are not the weathiest party in the ireland nevermind the UK

£22 million in used notes goes a long way though

true

cdebru wrote:

sinn fein are not the weathiest party in the ireland nevermind the UK

including or excluding the northern bank money under the floorboards?

including or excluding the other robberies eg Strabane, Dublin port , and the fuel / diesel smuggling / washing etc?


If Ferris and co. can get shipments from three of of 4 ships in from Liyba without being detected, I think they can massage their books ok.

monument

Slutmonkey57b wrote:

on the NIB robbery

Who robbed what National Irish Bank? Would you possible mean Northern Bank?

[ Daithí ]

Or perhaps they meant "Northern Ireland Bank".

therecklessone

Rock Climber wrote:

They are indeed an example to behold...
they are wealthier than all the other parties apparently even though the other parties get plenty of corporate donations...

Sinn Fein take corporate donations, its just the corporations rarely have any say in whether they donate or not...

true

monument wrote:

Who robbed what National Irish Bank? Would you possible mean Northern Bank?

Sorry, a slip of the tongue. But you know what was meant anyway.