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    #76
    The 2016 Irish election is over!

    They have one good idea -- capping politicians' pay and linking it to that of PAYE workers. The rest of it is the same old half-baked Doheny & Nesbitts School Of Economics codswallop with a bit of Catholic craw-thumping thrown in.

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      #77
      The 2016 Irish election is over!

      Selected Ambient Works 85-92 wrote: They have one good idea -- capping politicians' pay and linking it to that of PAYE workers. The rest of it is the same old half-baked Doheny & Nesbitts School Of Economics codswallop with a bit of Catholic craw-thumping thrown in
      Here's a possible curve-ball, but what about the SDLP (can't match SF, not really 'Left', potentially losing ground to Alliance) folding into a Dublin Party? Attitude to abortion is significant among a lot of consersative Northern Catholics.

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        #78
        The 2016 Irish election is over!

        If they wanted to do that, they'd have merged with Irish Labour by now - it's a debate that's been raging among them for decades - well, the idea of a merger with a Southern party, FG in the '80's, FF until the crash and Labour among younger members.

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          #79
          The 2016 Irish election is over!

          Among the most interesting of the various council pacts, Dublin City Council will be ruled for the next five years by a left-wing coalition, and will have a Sinn Féin mayor at the GPO for the centenary of 1916.

          Comment


            #80
            The 2016 Irish election is over!

            Perhaps the first post-election opinion poll should be captioned "A warning from history", given the eerie electoral parallels. Unlike many countries, Adams wouldn't have "first dibs" at forming a government, but if, as seems evident, the FF-FG numbers wouldn't add up, then the baton would pass to SF.

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              #81
              The 2016 Irish election is over!

              Red C:

              FG 22%
              SF 22%
              FF 18%
              Lab 4%
              Green 2%
              Others 32%

              Comment


                #82
                The 2016 Irish election is over!

                Just when Fianna Fáil have recovered at least to the extent of overtaking a declining Fine Gael, their justice spokesman, Niall Collins (relation of Gerry) and Eamon O'Cuiv have both hit the headlines after making representations on behalf of criminals, one a drug dealer convicted of manslaughter. Still, unlike SF, no FF members have been involved in illegal activities "cough".

                Comment


                  #83
                  The 2016 Irish election is over!

                  FF, FG and Labour with a joint support of 50% in tonight's poll. As the breakdown shows, there would be no stable majority, so a second election would immediately follow.

                  Comment


                    #84
                    The 2016 Irish election is over!

                    Rode Duivel wrote: Still, unlike SF, no FF members have been involved in illegal activities "cough"
                    Aye. Don't stand idly by, I'll see if we can find some

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                      #85
                      The 2016 Irish election is over!

                      The Labour clear out begins, as Ruairi Quinn resigns as Education Minister. Only Burton will remain of their five Ministers, while in FG, only Kenny, Noonan, Fitzgerald and Flanagan are certain to remain in their current positions.

                      Comment


                        #86
                        The 2016 Irish election is over!

                        Rather predictably, Burton becomes Labour leader, and thus Tánaiste, but her scale of victory, at 76% may well see White even lose his junior ministry.

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                          #87
                          The 2016 Irish election is over!

                          So, after Chris Gaines postponed the Cabinet reshuffle all week, we at least know the Labour changes - Alan Kelly in Environment, Jan O'Sullivan in Education and Alex White in Communications. Speculation that Varadkar is going to Health and that Deenihan will be sacked.

                          Comment


                            #88
                            The 2016 Irish election is over!

                            I've always found that cabinet reshuffles really make a mockery of the whole idea of government. That somebody can be Minister for Transport one minute, and Minister for Health the next, is just bullshit.

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                              #89
                              The 2016 Irish election is over!

                              At least in this instance, they're actually both doctors, which must be an Irish first.

                              Comment


                                #90
                                The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                Pat Rabbitte is gone, thank god.

                                Comment


                                  #91
                                  The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                  Phil Hogan continues the venerable tradition of sending total incompetents to Europe, and Deenihan gets a meaningless "Diaspora" insecure.

                                  Comment


                                    #92
                                    The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                    With the RA joining the Technical Group, the arrangement appropriately "technically" becomes the largest opposition bloc, ahead of FF, but running the gamut of far left and centre-right, there's little unity of purpose. The Roscommon-South Leitrim and Dublin SW by-elections will be held next month - SF expect to win in the capital while the rural vote is a straight shoot-out between FF and a Ming-backed independent.

                                    Comment


                                      #93
                                      The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                      Lord, this country does endure the most mundane political controversies - the latest involved a Seanad by-election, where a Donegal Fine Gaeler was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art for cultural qualifications, resigning thirteen days later to contest a vacancy in the cultural panel of the upper house. The Arts Minister (only just appointed in the Shatter-induced reshuffle) was blamed initially, before the Taoiseach accepted full responsibility. With the candidate withdrawing today, all three are now damaged goods, while Labour's pusillanimity will not be forgotten.

                                      Comment


                                        #94
                                        The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                        Interesting Irish Times opinion poll:

                                        Fine Gael: 24% (-)
                                        Sinn Féin: 24% (+2)
                                        Ind/Others: 23% (-2)
                                        Fianna Fáil 20% (-5)
                                        Labour 9% (+2)

                                        Comment


                                          #95
                                          The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                          An actually proper leftist party is joint leader in the polls.

                                          Now, a lot of their vote is not a core leftist vote, it's the equaivalent of the UK labour voter who proved poachable by the BNP or Ukip.

                                          But conversely, an awful lot of people - myself included - have far more in common with their platform than with that of nearly any other party; but won't ever vote for them because of the whole "evil, murdering cunts" thing.

                                          It's an unusual moment for the only electorate in Europe that has never once elected* even a nominally left-wing government.

                                          *the stat involves a certain amount of generosity regarding pre-'89 "elections" in Eastern Europe. But you get the point.

                                          Comment


                                            #96
                                            The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                            Toro Toro wrote: An actually proper leftist party is joint leader in the polls.

                                            Now, a lot of their vote is not a core leftist vote, it's the equaivalent of the UK labour voter who proved poachable by the BNP or Ukip.

                                            But conversely, an awful lot of people - myself included - have far more in common with their platform than with that of nearly any other party; but won't ever vote for them because of the whole "evil, murdering cunts" thing.

                                            It's an unusual moment for the only electorate in Europe that has never once elected* even a nominally left-wing government.

                                            *the stat involves a certain amount of generosity regarding pre-'89 "elections" in Eastern Europe. But you get the point.
                                            Can we really call them a party of the left, a la the Socialists or People Before Profit, though? Their record in Stormont vis-a-vis water and property charges is the same as the Coalition's, and they're hardly like to refuse junior partnership to FF if the arithmetic adds up.

                                            Comment


                                              #97
                                              The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                              Fianna Fail killed far more people with their vicious, swingeing and avoidable cuts to the health service in the late 1980s than the IRA ever did.

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                                                #98
                                                The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                                I've never voted SF in my life, before anyone starts. I think O Snodaigh got my fifth preference at the last general election.

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                                                  #99
                                                  The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                                  Sinn fein aren't a leftist party. They're an opportunist party of opposition who will oppose everything until they are in power and will then implement it. but hypocrisy is no problem to them.

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                                                    The 2016 Irish election is over!

                                                    fianna fail but with added nastiness.

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