Belfast Telegraph Front Page: Friday April 10, 1981
On April 9, 1981, the Westminster by-election for the region of Fermanagh-South Tyrone took place, pitting Anti-H-Block imprisoned hunger striker Bobby Sands against UUP candidate Harry West (CAIN 2023). This newspaper excerpt from the Belfast Telegraph indicates, the day after the election, the vote being “tipped” towards Sands. This election, indicated a large jump in Sinn Féin’s tactics in which they turned more ardently towards an electoral strategy. The hunger strikes of 1981 were already clearly building sympathies towards the Republican cause and thus, the introduction of an interned hunger striker to the election was a natural, if not superbly strategic, move on behalf of the party (M. Whiting 2016).
This electoral success indicated to Sinn Féin that they could successfully contest future elections and possibly become an undisputed contender for the nationalist vote against the SDLP (M. Whiting 2016). Moreover, it prompted Sinn Féin to field other hunger striker candidates in the subsequent elections.
Inherent to this shift in strategy was the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the elections in Northern Ireland, which contradicted Sinn Féin’s fundamental rejection of these institutions (M. Whiting 2016). Therefore, this not only represents a transition in strategy, but also a slight moderation in, at the very list, their image.
This was ultimately the beginning of true electoral competition between Sinn Féin and the SDLP, setting the stage for their ongoing rivalry.
Artifact source: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
