Poll puts Sinn Féin ahead of coalition parties for eighth consecutive month

The latest Business Post/Red C poll sees the party led by Mary Lou McDonald on 36%. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Sinn Féin has maintained a strong lead over the two main coalition parties, a new opinion poll has suggested.

The latest Business Post/Red C poll sees the party led by Mary Lou McDonald on 36%.

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have dropped one point, and are at 19% and 14%, respectively.

The poll results put Sinn Féin three points higher than their next closest rivals combined.

This is the eighth month in a row that Sinn Féin has stood atop this poll and it has remained above 30% since last October.

The other party in Government – the Greens – are down one to 4%.

Also on 4% are the Social Democrats (unchanged) and Solidarity-People Before Profit (up 1%).

Labour is unchanged at 3% while Aontú is up one to 3%.

Support for independent candidates remains high, up one to 12%.

Voters were also asked their opinions around the Northern Ireland Protocol for the Business Post/Red C research.

Three in four (75%) believe that the British government is being dishonest in its approach to the protocol and can no longer be trusted, the poll suggests.