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Sinn Féin and the next general election

Lessons from the local elections

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.

Sir, – Tom Lordan goes to great lengths to make the point that the only true benchmark for Sinn Féin’s recent local election performance is the previous local election of 2019 (“Two simple truths have been forgotten in the rush to write Sinn Féin off”, Opinion & Analysis, June 26th). He neglects to mention that Sinn Féin lost half of its councillors in that 2019 election. To borrow from Oscar Wilde, “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” –Yours, etc,

RAY BRADFIELD

Dungarvan,

Co Waterford.

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Sir, – Tom Lordan is quite right that the local elections are different from a general election.

One of the features is that the locals are seen as a “free hit” against the Government of the day.

The fact that Sinn Féin singularly failed to take advantage of this trend points to bad management, vague policies and a surging Independent sector that must have them very worried indeed. – Yours, etc,

JOHN COTTER,

Ferrybank,

Waterford.