A glum-looking Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Féin leader, at the election count in the RDS in the past week. The party secured just 12 per cent of the votes in the local elections. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
“We like certainty and it was good to see the centre ground holding,” one senior chief executive told Cantillon this week. Sinn Féin had been on a charm offensive with US multinationals invested here and local businesses to affirm its commitment to our corporate tax rate, and to pursuing commonsense policies to maintain the Irish economic growth story. This makes sense given that a strong Irish economy will be key to paying for a United Ireland, Sinn Féin’s number one goal.
Independents were the other winners from the locals, securing 28 per cent of the vote. If these voting patterns were repeated in the general election, the Opposition benches would have a disparate look to them.