Mary Lou McDonald admits party bosses told her to change her ...

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has admitted she needs to change her style of leadership if her party is to avoid another electoral defeat.

Ms McDonald made the remarks following a ‘comprehensive and honest’ review of Sinn Féin’s recent electoral performance by the party’s inner circle, who effectively control the party North and South.

She said the party had ‘failed to reflect’ most people’s views on immigration, while also acknowledging that Sinn Féin ‘got it wrong’ by backing the Government’s two referendums in March.

Ms McDonald was speaking after the meeting with Sinn Féin’s Ard Comhairle close to Croke Park on the same day as an All-Ireland football semi-final, earlier prompting speculation she was stepping aside.

But flanked at the Communications Workers Union building by senior party figures including the North’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Cavan-Monaghan TD Matt Carthy, recently elected MEP Kathleen Funchion, and party front-bench TD Louise O’Reilly, Ms McDonald quickly confirmed she would be staying on as leader.

Senior party figures met earlier to discuss a report on why they had lost public support and failed to deliver a massive number of seats in last month’s local and European elections.

Asked by the Irish Mail on Sunday about what she was told about how she had contributed to her party’s dismal performance, Ms McDonald at first said: ‘Well, it [the report] said that we had made mistakes.’

When pressed about her contribution to the electoral performance, interpreted by many as a defeat, she added: ‘I still enjoy the full confidence and support of the party North and South and I will lead the party into the next general election.’

‘Everybody in the party who knows me knows that I’m not a person who is precious about criticism. If I was, I wouldn’t have lasted very long.’

‘They told me that they want me to be more firm. They have told me that they want me to be my absolute and authentic self.’

‘They have told me that they expect me to bring clarity in terms of our policy offering.’

‘They have told me that they expect better engagement with the grassroots and some, even within the various leadership levels of the party, have said that they also want more access to me,’ she said.

‘They want for me to be more available and I have made commitments to make all of that happen,’ Ms McDonald added.

Tacitly acknowledging that Ms O’Neill had shown better leadership north of the border Mary Lou added: ‘At the meeting today we had a tale of two elections. We performed out of our skin in the North, and in the North, we had message discipline.’

‘We didn’t mirror that south of the border. So their [party leaders’] main ask of me was to listen, to listen, to listen, and if there was a criticism of me, it is this,’ she said.

The Sinn Féin leader said her party would also change its policy on immigration.

And she admitted the party had got it wrong over the referendums on family and care in the spring.

She added: ‘It is evident that in the local and European elections, we lost trust and support.’

‘In relation to the family and care referendums, Sinn Féin got it wrong, and we must be big enough to admit that.’

‘On the issue of immigration, we have also failed to reflect where most people are at.’

‘Sinn Féin stands firmly against racism. So too do the Irish people. Everyone must be treated with respect, and dignity and in accordance with human rights standards. That is not in dispute.’

‘However, the State must have an immigration policy that makes sense to people, that is transparent, fair and that works. At present, this is not the case,’ Ms McDonald said.