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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« on: July 03, 2019, 11:19:18 PM »

Sinn Féin
Schedule for 1–7 August


1 August   Manifesto launch in Belfast.
2 August   Canvasing in Londonderry, McDonald recounts the disasters of the last seven years under a "clown car of Tory prime ministers," calling for an end to austerity and special status for Northern Ireland within the EU.
3 August   McDonald visits several towns on the border between Northern and Southern Ireland, emphasizing the disastrous consequences of a "Hard Brexit" and reiterating her call for special status within the EU.
4 August   Speaking before a mass rally of trade union members in Belfast, McDonald attacks the Tory government for their "complete contempt" for working people and workers' rights, calling for an end to austerity, deregulation, and privatization.
5 August   On the steps of Stormont Castle, McDonald blasts the Tories and the DUP for their "incompetent" handling of the executive negotiations, declaring that the DUP's "refusal to negotiate in good faith" is to blame for the continued adjournment of the executive.
6 August   In Newry, citing the neglect and mismanagement of Tory government from Westminster as proof that partition has failed, McDonald calls for a referendum on Irish unification by 2024. "In betraying the Good Friday Agreement, the Tories and the DUP have proved what we knew all along: partition is undemocratic, it is wrong, and our future lies with a united Ireland."
7 August   In Portadown, McDonald again slams the DUP for the "bad-faith negotiations that brought down the Stormont talks" and other parties as "weak-kneed enablers" of far-right obstructionism, presenting Sinn Féin as the only strong voice for Northern Ireland. 
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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2019, 12:59:02 AM »

In Belfast
Mary Lou MacDonald
On the Murder of Arder Carson


I can hardly begin to describe the horror that seizes me when I speak the words whispered on the four winds: that Arder Carson has be wrenched from this world by an assassin's knife. A lord mayor of Belfast was brutally murdered in the streets of this city by a Unionist partisan. If that does not chill your blood, then you are not alive.

We call on the authorities to begin a thorough and comprehensive investigation, to determine the full scope and motive for this despicable act of violence.

Our prayers are with Mr. Carson's family and his friends as they embark on this hard, heart-wrenching time. As for the perverted mind who conceived this attack: may God have mercy on his soul.
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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2019, 07:38:51 PM »
« Edited: July 07, 2019, 09:53:58 PM by Harry S Truman, MFP »

Sinn Féin
Slate for Northern Ireland

1. Paul John Maskey
2. Elisha McCallion
3. Francie Molloy
4. Michelle Gildernew
5. Mickey Brady
6. Órfhlaith Begley
7. Chris Hazzard
8. Emma Rogan
9. John O'Dowd
10. Cara McShane
. . .

Sinn Féin will stand candidates for all eighteen Northern Irish seats.
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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2019, 11:41:15 PM »
« Edited: July 08, 2019, 12:36:04 AM by Harry S Truman, MFP »

Sinn Féin
Schedule for 8–14 August


August 8   In Derry, McDonald announces Sinn Féin's candidates for the general election. Reflecting the party's deep commitment to gender equality, an equal number of male and female candidates have been selected, ordered alternately on the party's electoral list. The party's four MPs were all re-selected.

August 9   Speaking to supporters at a rally in Arlene Foster's hometown of Enniskillen, McDonald blasts the DUP leader for her role in the coalition and her absence from the campaign trail. "I'm beginning to be very worried about Mrs. Foster. Where is she? . . . For seven years, she was an enthusiastic co-conspirator in the disastrous Tory coalition. She drove a knife into the backs of the Northern workers, and piled them up, and climbed over the top of them to get into Downing Street! Now when the people will finally be consulted on her years of misrule, she can't be found. I almost can't blame her. If that was my record, I wouldn't want show my face in public either!"

August 10   In Dungannon, McDonald appears with local MLAs and speaks to a gathering of supporters. The theme of the day is the disaster of a Tory-led Brexit, and its implications for Dungannon's large immigrant population, as well as for the local economy. In her remarks, McDonald again blasts Foster and the DUP: "Arlene Foster voted away your rights, and hasn't even the decency to tell you to your face!" She reiterate's Sinn Féin's support for special status for the North as part of any agreement to leave the EU, vowing to defend the farm subsidies on which Dungannon's economy depends.

August 11   McDonald meets with supporters in the greater Belfast area. In her remarks, she emphasizes the damage done to workers under the DUP-backed Tory government, which Brexit has only increased, and reiterate Sinn Fein's pledge to defend workers' and labor rights. "You deserve leaders who will stand up for workers' rights, who will say 'no' to austerity, 'no' to a hard border, and 'no' to deregulation and privatization. . . Arlene Foster and the DUP sold your jobs for a seat in Downing Street. She stood by and watched as Andrea Leadsom botched the Brexit negotiations, knowing your jobs were on the line." Only a vote for Sinn Féin, she tells the crowd, will "stop the bleeding" and ensure Northern jobs and industry are protected.

August 12   McDonald takes part in the Leaders' Debate. Elsewhere, party leaders organize watch parties and drum up support for Sinn Féin ahead of the event.

August 13   McDonald visits several towns along the border, speaking with residents on the disastrous effects of a Tory-led Brexit on the Northern economy, and the importance of securing special status for Northern Ireland as part of any Brexit deal (as called for in Sinn Féin's manifesto). She emphasizes the dependence of Northern jobs on the free movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the South, and the reliance of Northern farmers on agricultural subsidies from the EU. Not only would a hard border across Ireland be enormously disruptive to local economies, it could mean a return to the violence of the Troubles, to which the brutal murder of Arder Carson is but a prequel of worse things to come. Only a vote for Sinn Féin will send a clear message to Westminster and force the government to respect Northern rights and Northern interests.

August 14   In Banbridge, McDonald calls for leftist and republican voters to unite behind Sinn Féin, stressing the importance of solidarity against the prospect of five more years of David Cameron, Brexit, and the DUP-Tory coalition. With polls showing Sinn Féin to be the overwhelming choice of republicans, it is essential to send a clear message to Westminster by delivering a strong mandate for Sinn Féin on election day. A divided vote will only strengthen the DUP and embolden Cameron to ignore the North as he moves forward with Brexit. Now more than ever, Northern Ireland must speak with one voice, and Sinn Féin is that voice.
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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2019, 12:12:58 AM »


Sinn Féin
Schedule for 15–21 August


_______________________

In General: Sinn Féin is taking no prisoners as they enter the third week of the campaign. On the stump, on social media, in the press and party literature, they hammer home the simple message: Westminster is broken, and Sinn Féin is the only party who mean business. The DUP and ChUK are equally complicit in the disasters of May's and Leadsom's ministries: the former voted again and again to sustain Tory government, throwing their constituents under the bus for a seat in Number 10; the latter is led by Anna Soubry, a "reformed" Tory who sat on the government benches with David Cameron for years —voted for austerity, for cuts to public services, for tax giveaways to the super-rich —and now wants to be believed as a leftist hero in the most cynical power-grab of the decade. There are no innocents in Westminster: only those too foolish to have foreseen the disaster looming on the horizon, and those who saw and let it happen in service of their own selfish interests.

In contrast to this circus of incompetence, Sinn Féin have been in the trenches, fighting, every day of the last seven years —opposing Tory cuts, opposing no-Deal Brexit, working to restore home rule to Northern Ireland and build a society where all people can lead lives of dignity. Sinn Féin is the only party with a serious plan to prevent a hard border in Ireland, the only party that will stand up for the poor and working classes when the campaign is over and the politicians go back to their chambers in Westminster. A united Northern Ireland can survive the chaos of Brexit and emerge stronger than every —but only with real leaders in Stormont who will demand the interests of the Northern people go before the selfish wants of the privileged class. The United Kingdom is the past; Ireland is the future. Sinn Féin alone is equipped to lead the North out of the darkness of the 2010s and into peace and prosperity in a new decade.

Strategy: While McDonald continues to make speeches and public appearances, and generally be the public face of Sinn Féin, volunteers and local organizers will carry the battle to the hearths of Northern Ireland, ensuring the party's message is heard from every door and every kitchen. No effort will be spared to energize the faithful and convert the wary. In the third week, two projects of the leadership will take priority: first, to convince SDLP supporters to cast a one-time vote for Sinn Féin in the interests of presenting a "united front" of Republican Remainers; second, to warn against support for Change UK as a "Tory mole," led by a willing co-conspirator in the May and Leadsom ministries. Sensible of the need to dissuade left-wing Remainers from defecting to ChUK, Sinn Féin will frequently contrast Soubry's "lovably leftist" rhetoric on the campaign trail with her past as a Tory MP, reminding voters that she cannot be trusted and dismissing ChUK as a viable choice for Remain voters.

Campaign:
15 and 16 August     McDonald visits Derry and the surrounding county. The theme of her appearances is the defense of local industry, under siege as a Tory-led Brexit threatens to close off trade with Europe and draw a hard border across Ireland. McDonald's remarks touch equally on the importance of standing with workers against deregulation and neo-Thatcherite policies from Westminster, and Sinn Féin's plan to prevent a hard border and maintain access to the Single Market and Customs Union. Here, it would be natural to observe that no other party has a serious plan to achieve this: the DUP have sold their soul to the Devil, Jo Swinson wants to patch up the EU with fairy stories, and ChUK are Thatcherites in disguise who were happy to sign off on austerity and deregulation under Theresa May, provided they can continue to enjoy imported French wine and hide their fortunes in Swiss bank accounts. Sinn Féin is the only party with a proven record of fighting for the working class, and the only choice that will send a strong message to Westminster.

17 and 18 August     In Omagh and the surrounding county, McDonald calls for an end to austerity and condemns the millions in Tory cuts to public services targeting the most vulnerable in society. As exemplary of the neo-Thatcherite attitude in Westminster, McDonald references the proposal to slash funding for the NHS (which Anna Soubry supported during her time as a Conservative MP). "ChUK and the DUP are two sides of the same coin in David Cameron's pocket." Unlike Soubry, who discovered her opposition to austerity when it became politically convenient, Sinn Féin has stood against Tory austerity and Tory cuts from the beginning. A vote cast for Sinn Féin is the only sure way to secure full funding for essential social programs and ensure the neediest among us are supported.

19 August     In County Down, McDonald again decries the travesty of Tory cuts—this time highlighting education. "Not content with robbing the widows and orphans, and the Northern workers, to fund their massive tax giveaway to the wealthy, the Cameron–Foster–Soubry coalition mortgaged the future of our children on their neo-Thatcherite crusade." Sinn Féin will continue their fight to fully fund all public services and demand the restoration of home rule, so that all Northerners have a voice on the issues affecting their communities.

20–21 August     In Belfast and County Armagh, McDonald calls on Westminster to restore home rule to Northern Ireland, and reiterates her willingness to engage in negotiations. Blame for the breakdown in talks rests squarely at the feet of the DUP, who cynically derailed negotiations so that they could impose direct rule from Westminster. "The DUP, and their aiders and abettors in the Tory party, are engaged in the biggest offensive against democracy since 1832. Rather than abide by the Good Friday Agreement, they have cynically chosen to ignore the results of the election and impose their anti-worker, anti-poor agenda without reference to the voice of the people." As a result, Northern Ireland is voiceless as Westminster moves to pass the Tory Brexit deal and reimpose a hard border across Ireland. Only a strong show of support for Sinn Féin can signal the unity and determination of the Northern people and force Andrea Leadsom to join talks to restore the Stormont Executive and the Good Friday Agreement.


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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2019, 12:20:52 AM »

Sinn Féin
Campaign Literature


 


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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2019, 10:30:29 PM »


Sinn Féin
Schedule for 22–28 August


_______________________

Campaign:
22–23 August     Campaigning across County Antrim, McDonald calls on Unionist leaders to put the interests of the North ahead of their own reelection and engage in talks to restore the Stormont Executive. Direct rule by Westminster has silenced Republican and Remain voices at the very moment when the future of Ireland is being decided. This is no accident: the Unionist parties and their Tory allies have deliberately obstructed negotiations in order to continue to govern without reference to the will of the people. While the opposition remains divided, Northern Ireland may be easily ignored: only a strong vote for Sinn Féin will break through Unionist stonewalling and force Westminster to respect the Good Friday Agreement and reinstate home rule.

24–25   In Londonderry and Tyrone, McDonald hammers home the importance of a united Republican vote on election day. In collusion with the Tory government in Westminster, the Unionists have cut Republican and Remain voters out of the conversation by refusing to restore the Stormont Executive. If the opposition are divided, they are easily ignored, and the Coalition can continue to suppress popular expression without consequences. Only a strong vote for Sinn Féin can break through the stonewalling of the DUP and UUP by forcing them to confront a large, motivated, and united opposition bloc. A vote for "ChUK" only enables this obstructionism by rewarding hardline Thatcherite Anna Soubry for her role in propping up the Tory-DUP "coalition of chaos" for seven years as the right hand to Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom. Sinn Féin is the only party with a real plan to prevent a hard border across Ireland and ensure continued access to the Single Market and Customs Union.

26 August     Canvassing in Fermanagh, McDonald reiterate's Sinn Féin's plan to preserve access to the Single Market and Customs Union. Northern Ireland voted by a majority to remain in the European Union in 2016, and for good reason: the reimposition of a hard border across Ireland would be disastrous to local economies and shatter the peace that has prevailed since the Good Friday Agreement. With the Unionists having betrayed home rule for a seat in Westminster, Sinn Féin remains the only party committed to preserving that peace. By establishing special status for Northern Ireland as part of any Brexit deal, continued free movement between Northern and Southern Ireland will be assured. EU officials have repeatedly shown themselves willing to make accommodations for Ireland's unique circumstances: it is up to Westminster to cease grandstanding and put the interests of ordinary people ahead of their selfish agenda. While the opposition remains divided, however, it is easy to ignore Northern Ireland: only a strong vote for Sinn Féin will force Westminster to heed the voice of the people and include special status for the North in the final deal with the EU.

27–28     Back in Tyrone, McDonald emphasizes Sinn Féin's commitment to the working class in her conversations with supporters, party organizers, and undecided voters. The result of a Tory-led Brexit would be disastrous for Northern Ireland, eliminating countless jobs that depend on free movement across Ireland. Yet even disregarding Brexit, the record of the Unionist-backed government (in which Anna Soubry proudly participated) on workers' rights is simply abysmal. Time and again, the Tory-Unionist "Coalition of Chaos" voted to slash regulations, gut public services, and leave the most vulnerable in society to fend for themselves while the wealth feast on the public dole. Sinn Féin is the only party that can reverse these trends and force Westminster to heed the voice of the people: a strong mandate is therefore essential to preserve vital public services and forestall disastrous trade policies proposed in the government's draft deal with the EU.



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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2019, 11:32:11 PM »


Sinn Féin
Schedule for 29 August–4 September


_______________________

In General: The arrival of Soubry and "Change UK" in Ulster is a threat Sinn Féin will take extremely seriously. While organizers, local MLAs, and the party's candidates for Westminster continue the unglamorous but no less essential of mobilizing Sinn Féin's base to ensure optimal turnout in the election, McDonald will carry the battle in the field: rebutting ChUK's arguments and maintaining Sinn Féin as the only legitimate left-wing, anti-Brexit option. She will frame the election as a choice between the pro-austerity, anti-home rule Soubry (who has been ineffectual in the fight to resist Brexit in Westminster) and the anti-autserity, pro-home rule nationalists. While Soubry says Northern Ireland deserves MPs who will "actually show up to work and fight," her own record is anything but: Soubry and her colleagues were willing co-conspirators in the Tory coalition that slashed funding for public services, blew up the Stormont talks, and passed the original Brexit referendum. If showing up and fighting is so important, why has Soubry so far failed to achieve any of her priorities despite years as an MP? Furthermore, why should voters believe ChUK will be a voice for Northern Ireland when they are intentionally branding themselves as the heirs to Arlene Foster and the DUP (with whom they served in the coalition)? Sinn Féin represents the only choice who is neither corrupted by power-lust nor complicit in the crimes of the last seven years, and only they can prevent a No-Deal Brexit by sending a clear message to Westminster that those who ignore the North do so at their own peril. Rather than a weakness, Sinn Féin's abstentionism is a strength: while the mathematical reality in parliament will inevitably lead Soubry to endorse a watered-down version of Brexit as part of a Tory-led coalition, Sinn Féin is free to fight for Northern interests without the encumbrance of parliamentary maneuvering: an unsullied voice for stability and unity.

Campaign:
29–30 August   For two days in Belfast, McDonald and the Sinn Féin ticket leaders burn through shoe rubber like gasoline, taking the fight to the streets and into the kitchens of the Northern voters. Having already visited the city on several occasions during the campaign, the object now is to reach as many people outside Sinn Féin's usual constituency as possible, while still paying respect to the party faithful. Whether knocking on doors or speaking to gatherings of supporters and interested voters, McDonald and the Sinn Féin candidates make a simple argument. Sinn Féin is a party of Northern Ireland, for Northern Ireland; ChUK is a circus of rebranded Tories who supported the coalition's austerity policy, shuttered the Stormont Executive, and failed utterly to prevent Brexit despite numerous opportunities. Anna Soubry is not a hero ready to "show up and fight" for Northern Ireland: she is an English Tory who helped Arlene Foster run roughshod over Northern Ireland for seven years and now wants to be received as a savior by the same people she betrayed as a minister in the coalition. By positioning themselves as the heirs to the DUP, they have intentionally embraced the legacy of obstructionism and right-wing economics that have poisoned politics in the last decade. Unlike these fair-weather Remainers, Sinn Féin has consistently fought for Northern Ireland and against austerity and a hard Brexit. With a specific and realistic plan to prevent a hard border and preserve access to the Single Market and Customs Union, they are the only reliable voice for Remain voters and working people in the North.

31 August   Visiting a dozen towns along the border with the Republic of Ireland, McDonald repeats her charges agains ChUK and rejects the notion that "a vote for Sinn Féin is a vote for Brexit." To the contrary, Sinn Féin has been the only consistent voice against Brexit from the beginning: their plan to secure designated special status for Northern Ireland closely resembled a solution proposed by the EU negotiators and has a real chance of success —if Westminster is made to understand that Northern Ireland is not to be ignored. The way to impress this message is not by voting for the Tory-lite ChUK, who will only abandon their principles to join a third Conservative coalition government the moment the election is over, but to support Sinn Féin, a strong vote for which will send a clear signal to Westminster that even David Cameron cannot ignore. By refusing to partake in self-serving parliamentary maneuvers, Sinn Féin is the only Remain option unadulterated by ulterior motives that serve to dilute the party's message. Their candidates aren't running to be Prime Minister or Home Secretary: their only motivation is to advocate for the people of Northern Ireland, a charge Soubry failed seven years over while serving in May and Leadom's governments.

1–2 September   In Derry, McDonald contrasts Sinn Féin's record—opposing austerity and privatization, standing up for workers' rights, advocating for Northern Ireland against the prospect of a hard border—with that of ChUK's leading members—mainly former Tories who voted to slash funding for vital public services and roll back workplace protections as part of Theresa May's "Coalition of Chaos." While ChUK claims to represent the only true Remain option, their opposition to Brexit is surface-deep: they're not interested in protecting Northern Ireland, but in promoting their own self-interest. Anna Soubry isn't running to fix Brexit: instead, she wants to win enough seats to force the next prime minister to promise her a lucrative seat in the government, whereupon she will abandon her newfound leftist principles and join the Tories in passing five more years of austerity and direct rule. By virtue of their abstentionism, Sinn Féin is the only choice unencumbered by parliamentary infighting. Therefore, a vote for Sinn Féin cannot be misinterpreted as anything other than an expression of solidarity with the working people of Northern Ireland.

3–4 September   Canvassing across Tyrone, McDonald again cites Sinn Féin's record standing up for the common people compared to their rivals, particularly ChUK. On austerity, on healthcare, on education, on workers' rights —Sinn Féin is consistently the only reliable voice for the people amidst a sea of Thatcherites and opportunists. While ChUK has attempted to cast the election as a single-issue referendum on Brexit, the reality is their commitment to the EU stems not from a desire to protect Northern Ireland from the fallout of a hard Brexit, but from a selfish desire to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else. ChUK's extravagant promises hide a seven-year record of supporting massive cuts to public spending to pay for a tax giveaway to the wealthy —a scheme Soubry defended as recently as this year. ChUK cannot advocate for Northern Ireland in the Brexit process because ChUK does not care to understand Northern Ireland: they see the 18 seats here as just another opportunity to strengthen their bargaining position in negotiations to form the next government. Sinn Féin, by contrast, is a party by and for Northern Ireland: their first priority is the wellbeing of the local communities they represent, because those are their communities to. They will fight for Northern rights and Northern interests because this is their home, too: something ChUK's leadership neither understands, nor cares to.

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Unconditional Surrender Truman
Harry S Truman
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Posts: 14,142


« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2019, 11:00:08 PM »


Sinn Féin
Schedule for 5–11 September


_______________________

In General: Sinn Féin will take nothing for granted in the final week of the campaign. At the top of the ticket, McDonald will remain the face and voice of Sinn Féin in one last push to persuade undecided voters and motivate the party faithful. At the constituency level, local organizations and party activists will be central to efforts to mobilize supporters on election day. As they continue to hammer their opponents for their many crimes and heresies committed in the lustful pursuit of power, Sinn Féin will also take time to emphasize their positive vision for the future of Northern Ireland. They will remind the public that the disaster of the last seven years—austerity, deregulation, Brexit, and the collapse of home rule—was achieved through the combined efforts of the DUP, UUP, and Thatcherites like Anna Soubry whose irrepressible lust for power inspired a callous disregard for the plight of the working people of Northern Ireland. They sold out their constituents for a seat in Westminster; they intentionally crafted policies to reward the rich at the expense of the poor. Anna Soubry claims to oppose Brexit: but it was her incompetence as a leading member of the Coalition of Chaos that allowed Brexit to happen in the first place. If she and her Unionist friends wanted to solve the crisis, why have they not already done so? Simply put, because they have no interest in helping Northern Ireland: only in enriching themselves. Her cronies offer no real solutions to the problem because they are the problem: their poisoned policies, their broken ideas, are the root of the weed that is strangling the heart and soul of the common people.

A vote for Soubry or the Unionists is a vote for five more years of the unsustainable status quo. In parliament, they won't represent the interests of Northern Ireland —why would they, when they've so far profited by ignoring them? Rather than listen to Northern voices, Soubry and the Unionists shut down Stormont and ruled Northern Ireland directly from Westminster. The only way for Northern Ireland to have her rights is to take them herself. By voting for Sinn Féin by a large majority, the people of Northern Ireland will send a clear message to Westminster that they will not be ignored. A massive show of solidarity will force Westminster to change course, restore home rule, and amend the Brexit deal with the EU to prevent a hard border across Ireland. Sinn Féin is an abstentionist party: their votes are not for sale to David Cameron or Alistair Darling, and a vote for them cannot be confused as anything but a statement of common cause with the working people of this island. With a strong plurality of Northern voters behind them, Sinn Féin will be able to most effectively advocate for the interests of the neediest in our society: for the full funding of public services, including healthcare, education, and housing; and for the Northern workers whose livelihoods depend on free movement across Ireland. Only Sinn Féin has offered a realistic plan to meet these goals, and only by voting for them on election day can Northerners force the politicians in parliament to set aside their ambition and petty squabbling to serve the interests of the people.

Campaign:
5 September   Campaigning across Antrim, McDonald meets with party activists and representatives of then local Sinn Féin organization. In what has historically been a stronghold for Unionist sentiment, she launches a spirited defense of the Good Friday Agreement, identifying the real threat to peace as coming "not from the South, but from Westminster." The Tories in their arrogance have deliberately held up negotiations to reopen the Stormont executive in order to continue to rule without reference to the will of the people. Only by a show of solidarity on election day can Northern Ireland make their voice heard and force the DUP and the Tories back to the negotiating table.

6–7 September   Campaigning across Down and Armagh, McDonald raises again the bloody banner of austerity, reminding voters of the legacy of the "Coalition of Chaos" wreaking having to public services in order to fund a massive tax-giveaway to the rich. Whatever "ChUK" and Anna Soubry may promise now, they were on the front lines fighting for these policies during the coalition and have defended them as recently as this year. "Change UK" is anything but, and a vote for them is a vote for the status quo. Sinn Féin alone has been a consistent advocate for fully funding public services and the cause of the neediest in our society.

8–9 September   Campaigning in Fermanagh, McDonald emphasizes the ways in which local industry would be impacted by a hard Brexit and recounts Sinn Féin's plan to preserve access to the Single Market and Customs Union. Not only would this plan protect the interests of Northern farmers and workers whose livelihoods would vanish were a hard border drawn across Ireland, the EU has indicated they would accept such a deal as a compromise with the UK: only the intransigence of parliament stands in its way. If a deal is not reached to prevent a hard border, it would mean the collapse of the Good Friday Agreement and a return to the violence of the Troubles. A vote for Sinn Féin will shake the politicians out of their stupor and force them to attend to Northern interests.

10–11 September   McDonald brings the campaign to a finish in Belfast, where she greets crowds of supporters and issues a final summons to the polls on the eve of the election. She recalls the themes of the campaign in her remarks, citing the crimes of the Tory-Unionist "Coalition of Chaos" and Sinn Féin's plan to lead Northern Ireland into the future.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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