It’s not that long ago that a decision by a leading member of Sinn Féin to attend a British royal coronation would have caused a week of stories.
After all, the IRA murdered Lord Louis Mountbatten off the Sligo coast in 1979.
King Charles said Lord Mountbatten was the grandfather he never had.
Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill announced she has accepted her invitation to the King’s coronation, and so has Alex Maskey, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
It says much about where the Irish republican party is at now, that these announcements caused scarcely a mainstream ripple.
A DUP representative described the decision as a step in the right direction, although there was some dissent – People Before Profit and Aontú said it was “utterly shameful” and evidence that Sinn Féin is prepared to “jettison almost anything in their quest for power”.
And, yes, Sinn Féin has its eyes on the big picture as it sees it.
It’s all about being in government north and south at a time when it believes that Brexit and changing demographics put the future of Northern Ireland in play – even if it is still some time away and needs to be planned for.
Michelle O’Neill is already first minister-designate and the party’s hope is that Mary Lou McDonald will be Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) after a general election, expected in the late Autumn 2024.
Irish unity not main focus
Sinn Féin in government north and south would certainly change the narrative about a border poll, as the party would be in power in a sovereign independent EU state with its hands on many levers of international influence.
But the party would also have to be mindful that while Irish unity is something it feels strongly about for the electorate south of the border, there are more pressing issues such as dealing with a lack of housing, a failing health service and the cost of living.
For voters in the Republic of Ireland a united Ireland inside the EU remains an aspiration rather than an immediate priority.
Money matters
Polls suggest Sinn Féin is likely to be in government after the next election in some form of coalition but it’s far too early to be certain about that.
And the current coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens has the economic resources and huge budget surpluses to address voters’ concerns – although maybe not the time and policies.
There is, after all, a political imperative not to allow a Sinn Féin-led government to spend the pot of gold amassed from massive corporation tax receipts garnered from 10 US multinational companies.
For Sinn Féin to win the trust of the Republic’s voters, a functioning Northern Ireland Executive would help allay the fears of many that the party might be too populist or financially irresponsible in government.
The party must also hope that the attendance of Michelle O’Neill and Alex Maskey at the coronation will make it look “responsible” in its appeal to those voters who have yet to be convinced.
But, in fairness to Sinn Féin’s leaders, there has been a developing warm relationship between the Royal family and the party in recent years as witnessed most recently when Ms O’Neill and Mr Maskey met the King after his mother’s death.
And as we know from his many visits to Ireland north and south, reconciliation is a theme close to the heart of King Charles.
It may still be a truism but politics can make for strange bedfellows especially when eyes are on the main prize.
Source: BBC