Though it seems unlikely that Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have agreed on a good-cop-bad-cop routine in how they might debate Sinn Féin, this week’s events hinted at such an arrangement. Unsurprisingly, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, said his remarks were “pathetic”. Mr Martin’s response was in contrast to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s farcical error when he claimed that Sinn Féin does not have senior politicians who are Protestant. Yet Sinn Féin’s past is the never-ending distraction that all too often diverts attention from today’s policy promises. Cold-eyed scrutiny of its policies would be preferable and bring the added benefit of forcing the established parties to review their own policies too.

Source: Irish Examiner March 12, 2021 08:20 UTC