Yes and no. There’s no doubt that Sinn Fein is seen as forward thinking by NI standards. Pro choice for women, pro same sex marriage, not climate change deniers and as Clint pointed out don’t struggle with the concept of dinosaurs unlike the DUP. Unionism in Northern Ireland is in turmoil. Unionism is not pro choice, not pro same sex marriage and certainly in the case of the DUP are concerned climate change deniers. The unionists have lost votes to APNI from anyone who doesn’t think it’s still 1920. In all honesty I thought it would be worse than it was for the DUP and UUP, mainly because of their stances on the NI protocol which is actually unilaterally popular in NI, as one brexiteer let slip NI has the best of both worlds.
I’m more convinced now that the breakup of the union is inevitable. NI first and a few years later Scotland will follow to form a Celtic tiger all over again. Might take years but NI will go within the next decade in my opinion. And yes it could have been avoided if we stayed in the EU as the simple fact is it made less sense.