SF’s vision ‘failing’ says former MLA
A FORMER Orangeman who until last year was a Sinn Fein MLA has said that his former party is not doing enough to persuade unionists of the merits of a united Ireland.
With support for removing the border at an all-time low, Billy Leonard said that Sinn Fein and the SDLP were too focused on attacking each other.
In an interview with the News Letter he also said that as an MLA he was asked about Gerry Adams’ denial that he was in the IRA but “always had to deflect it and say: Ask Gerry Adams about that; Gerry Adams is big enough to answer for himself …. it’s a public stance that he’s taken so the bottom line is that he’s going to have to clarify it one day or maintain his line”.
Asked whether the Sinn Fein president had a credibility problem as he is widely disbelieved when he says that he was never in the IRA, Dr Leonard said he did not want to comment on Mr Adams but that Sinn Fein had to ask itself “what issues, what people, what actions or inactions are hitting credibility because the subject of this is a serious political aspiration – you don’t want barriers in the way of that aspiration”.
He also claimed “tentacles” of the IRA army council still reach deep inside Sinn Fein.
One Belfast Sinn Fein MLA, he says, told him openly that “he knew who really held the power in the party, and accepted that this was the best way to get on with the work”.
He said: “In essence he knew that the elected representatives didn’t hold the real power, rather it was held by a blend of ard chomhairle and army council members: everyone was meant to be equal but in classical terms some were more equal than others.”
