Gerry Adams to stand down as Sinn Fin leader next year

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-42039618

Gerry Adams to stand down as Sinn Féin leader next year

18 November 2017

From the section Northern Ireland

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has revealed he plans to stand down as leader of the party next year. Mr Adams also said he will not stand for election to the Irish parliament (Dail) at the next election.

Speaking at the Sinn Féin ard fhéis (party conference) in Dublin, Mr Adams said it would be his last as leader. "Leadership means knowing when it's time for change and that time is now," the 69-year-old, who has been party president since 1983, said.

(Analysis)
So the build-up was justified - to paraphrase one of Gerry Adams' most famous phrases, he is going away you know. The precise date will depend on the party's ard comhairle or ruling executive which is expected to meet within the next fortnight - they will in turn call an extraordinary ard fheis where a new leader will be elected.

Sinn Féin may hope that Mr Adams' decision not to stand in the next Irish election will make any talks about a future coalition in Dublin more straightforward. But the Fianna Fáil Leader Micheal Martin has repeated his view that Sinn Fein remains unacceptable as a partner in government.

Whatever the future brings, though, there's no doubt Gerry Adams' move marks an historic change as a leader who oversaw the republican movement's journey between violence and peace gives way to another politician who will pursue Irish unity through more conventional parliamentary politics.
(snip)

[OnDoutside]

1. As with everything SF, it's a calculation.

They stalled in large part due to him being inextricably tied to the IRA/murder. This is an attempt to put a new face in front, but be in no doubt who will still be leading from the shadows.

The other news is that the Shinners have decided they will now be willing to enter government as a junior partner. Given the extremely poor results junior partners have suffered in following elections, this is an admittance that they have reached their level of support. Junior partners usually get all the blame and none of the praise.