SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald is urging voters who want a change of government to vote for her party in the upcoming general election – but has stressed that she is willing to speak with any other group to form a coalition.

Though insisting that Sinn Féin’s main priority was to win the election, McDonald believes she would be “insulting” the public if she were to rule out speaking to any party after the election. 

The party leader was speaking to media outside government buildings in Dublin shortly after Taoiseach Simon Harris called a general election for 29 November. McDonald said her party was ready and were seeking to oust the incumbent government. 

“We face into this campaign with spirit, with confidence and with a clear message: After 100 years of Fianna-Fáil-and-Fine-Gael-led governments, vote Sinn Fein to change the government,” she said.

"If Sinn Féin wins, you win"

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald appeals to the public to vote for her party in the general election #GE2024 pic.twitter.com/J0S5aq5ORq

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While a coalition between Sinn Féin and Fine Gael is seen as politically impractical, there are some suggestions the leading opposition party could form a government with Fianna Fáil over its similar social stances and positions on a united Ireland.

However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin today categorically ruled out a coalition with Sinn Féin over its economic policy proposals – claiming that the party ‘don’t get’ Ireland’s economic model.

McDonald said that the “ideal” outcome for Sinn Féin would be that all of its 71 candidates get elected and that a government is formed without Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. 

When challenged on whether that meant she was ruling out a coalition with either party, McDonald insisted that she was “willing to speak with everyone” about forming a government after the election. 

Mary Lou McDonald spoke to the media outside government buildings in Dublin city shortly after an election had been called. © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil similarly ruled out forming a coalition with Sinn Féin before the previous election in 2020. Today, McDonald said she found that was “insulting” to the public.

“I remember after the last election, people were turning up their noses and saying they wouldn’t speak [to us],” McDonald said. “Apparently, we weren’t good enough, according to them, for people to come and talk to us.

“That landed really badly with the hundreds of thousands of people who voted for Sinn Féin – so I’m not going to insult the citizens and voters by taking a position like that.”

Winning back the base

Sinn Féin has been in deep controversy in recent weeks following a number of crisis which were revealed either by the party or the media after months of the party underperforming the polls.

The party has also lost a strong portion of its base in working class communities as voters either disagreed or were detached from its stances on immigration, the economy and the Family and Care referendums earlier this year.

McDonald said she believed that voting for Sinn Féin was the “best chance, in fact I believe, [the] only chance” for voters from working class communities, who may be facing homelessness or contemplating emigrating, to change their situations.

McDonald and her front-bench TDs in Dublin city today. © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

“Did we, at times, make mistakes along the way? Yes, we did – and we got called out on that, as you know, by our by our working class space and that’s fair enough.”

Asked what McDonald would view as a particular mistake, she said it was her party supporting a YesYes vote in the most recent referendums.

She added: “In our case, lessons were learned. We work extremely hard for our communities. Sinn Féin is your option if you want to change the government.

“And the big issue for working people and communities is, can you afford another five years of a Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil-led government? I would say – very strongly – regular people, working class communities, all communities and young people simply can’t.”