Banking on Sinn Féin being ostracised could be a big mistake

In the light of the newly-released State papers, Ryle Dwyer suggests there may be some deluded expectations of voter resistance to Sinn Féin.

AFTER John Hume performed magnificently in retaining his seat in the European election, 1984 was depicted as a particularly good year for the Social Democratic Labour Party in the North.

He polled 62.3% of the nationalist vote — up by over 5% on SDLP’s vote in the 1983 UK general election.