BELFAST (Reuters) -Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), hailed its first election win in Northern Ireland's history as a "defining moment" for the British-controlled region and called for a debate on the creation of a united Ireland. It's a defining moment in our politics and for our people," the head of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, said. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also leading a campaign to secede from the United Kingdom, was among the first to congratulate Sinn Fein in a Twitter post that hailed a "truly historic result." The scrapping of what it calls an effective trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom was a key election promise. It followed a similar path in the Northern Irish elections, where it focused on economic concerns rather than Irish unity to appeal to middle-ground voters.

Source: The Star May 07, 2022 18:34 UTC