McGuiness: Sinn Féin ready for power, but not with FG

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness today insisted his party was ready to take the reins south of the border.

However, he ruled out any partnership with senior Opposition party Fine Gael.

After Sinn Féin voted to keep its coalition options open south of the border, the Stormont Deputy First Minister went on the attack against opponents who said they are not ready for Government.

Describing them as arrogant and partitionist, Mr McGuinness said it was laughable when commentators or rivals claimed that Sinn Féin had no experience for running the country.

“Wake up and look north,” he said.

“We are in Government, we are taking the hard decisions and we are doing a good job to boot.”

Last night, the party’s grassroots voted by a large majority to keep the door open to a possible partnership with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.

A proposal to rule out a coalition with either party was defeated after an amendment by the party’s ard chomhairle (executive council) that allowed it to keep its options open.

However, Mr McGuinness today apparently ruled out entering government with Fine Gael during a broadside at the party’s leader Enda Kenny over his recent appearance on RTÉ’s 'Late Late Show'.

“Enda seemed fairly certain that he wouldn’t go into government with Sinn Féin but seemed less sure about exactly why,” he said.

“Well let me help Fine Gael out – a bit like George Lee (Dublin South TD who resigned from the party), we have no interest in Government with them or their policies.”

The Mid-Ulster MP insisted his party had a proven track record in taking decisions and making a difference to Irish citizens through the North’s power-sharing executive.

“I have to say, unlike Enda Kenny, I do know what it is like to operate a coalition government,” he said.

“In case it has escaped his attention I jointly head one.”