I was interested in a report on the BBC this morning, that Mary Lou McDonald, president of Sinn Féin had congratulated the Queen on her jubilee. This comes at the end of an attempted ambush of SF over a dispute about planting a rose tree at Stormont to celebrate the event. This, like an earlier dispute over the banning of a monument to 100 years of the NI state, have been spun as being a slight from SF to the loyalist community, whereas the tree dispute was over the application of existing rules and the "monument" was presented as a fait accompli by the DUP without any discussion or agreement on the design or siting. McDonald's latest comment came as she gave her opinion on the decision to plant the rose tree as planned.
She said "I think it is important that we are respectful of the identity of our citizens who are British. I think that is entirely appropriate and I welcome that decision."
"For those who will celebrate the jubilee, I wish them well and a good jubilee and for those of us that don't I believe we are now big enough, bold enough, generous enough to acknowledge the identity of others."
"Can I also extend to the British Queen a word of congratulations because 70 years is quite some record. That is what you call a lifetime of service."
There has been surprise at the message, just as there was much comment on the famous meetings between Martin McGuinness and the Queen, but whilst the congratulations are warm, they are also distant..... note the use of "British Queen". However, the recognition of "our citizens who are British", not "who think of themselves as" or "who claim to be" is a great move forward and a demonstration that the Republicans have moved beyond the rejection of anything that countered their view. This flies in the face of a DUP who seem to be acting like a scorned lover over NI in general and Stormont in particular, by pulling the whole temple down around them over the agreed NI Protocol, seemingly threatening "If I can't have you, nobody will!!!"
It's interesting that both the president and deputy president of Sinn Féin are now women.... and that the DUP have refused to say whether they would fulfil the deputy role in Stormont should SF gain a majority on the upcoming elections. It appears that SF are attempting to reach out from a position of strength, whereas the DUP are fighting a desperate rearguard action.....
I'd be interested in anyone else's view....
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