THE LEADER OF the SDLP has strongly criticised Sinn Féin after a tweet by the party edited a portion of his speech to the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis mid-sentence.

Colum Eastwood spoke at Fianna Fáil’s national conference on Saturday and argued that a border poll should only be held after the “definition and detail” of a “New Ireland” is provided. 

In doing so, Eastwood referenced the recent comments by Donald Tusk, who had said there may be a “special place in hell” for those who promoted Brexit “without a plan”.

Using that template, the SDLP leader said:

“We will only succeed in reaching that New Ireland if we first provide it with definition and detail. And let me say this very clearly, no referendum should be called until that work is done.”

There will be a special place reserved in hell for those who call for a border poll in Ireland with no plan or no idea to actually win it.

In a video posted last night, Sinn Féin’s official Twitter account shared a video of Eastwood delivering that sentence but cut his words before the end of the sentence.

(Click here if video doesn’t play)

In the Sinn Féin video, Eastwood appears to say: “There will be a special place reserved in hell for those who call for a border poll in Ireland.” 

The tweet from Sinn Féin also apparently takes aim at Fianna Fáil when it states, “so much for the so-called Republican Party.”

Responding to Sinn Féin’s tweet, Eastwood said that the party was twisting his words.

“You have left out the bit when I said – “without a plan to win it”. But don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story. You never do,” Eastwood tweeted. 

Another SDLP representative, councillor Malachy Quinn, said that Sinn Féin was “getting desperate”.

“To deliberately edit a speech to change its meaning is something Trump wouldn’t even do. But then again… facts were never friends to SF,” Quinn tweeted. 

This evening, Fianna Fáil has mocked Sinn Féin’s tweet with an edited video of Mary Lou McDonald, stating that Sinn Féin edited Eastwood’s speech to “change its meaning and make a political charge”.

(Click here if video doesn’t play) 

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