I think it was the handling of Brexit that gave him a bit of a bounce last time but it has been a clusterfuck since. I think people want a change now. 9 years of FG is more than enough for any country. People forget that they engaged in auction politics and criticised FF for not spending enough back before the crash. But seemingly that is the battleground FG will occupy in this election. Stale mudslinging that may have had a place 9 years ago but they have had long enough to do something about it.
They have brought in a great deal of social change but our economy is a precarious one in that it is propped up by Direct foreign investment. The returns of which we cant accurately predict. Our employment figures are at all time record highs from MNC’s at well over 200,000 so it means our politicians need to resort with the begging cap to the likes of Tim Cook etc. Ireland is seen as light touch enough in terms of regulation which is also an added string to our bow when it comes to courting these companies. There is a trickle down then which is benefiting ancillary businesses and with tourist numbers at the 10m mark there is plenty of cash floating around.
However the issues which this govt will fall down on are affordable housing and supply of same, waiting lists in hospitals and trolley crisis, bogus insurance claims and homelessness. These are the deliverables for which they have had no answers to. The extra money floating around in the economy and full employment is attributable to our very competitive and favourable conditions to do business in and many of these factors were in play long before FG came into power.
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Ivan goes constituency by constituency
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Now Leo’s gra for Valentine’s day makes sense
The problem arises from the fact that a new register for 2020 will not become valid until 15 February.
But there are thousands of people whose names have been added to this register which currently has only draft status
He’s a serious spoofer in fairness
He tipped up a losing 1/5 shot in the last election
That was a ridiculous bet considering it was a new constituency and it was 1/5. Who did get the highest vote as a matter of interest?
Michael Healy-Rae, 20k plus.
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Was it Lowry to top his constituency at 1/5 or Lowry to take the highest percentage in the country at 1/5? It’s bad to be tipping up 1/5 shots in a column, let alone them getting turned over then. 
I’d be stunned if FF get in the 60s and FG only in the 40s for seats.
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Paddy Power have it at 49 seats FG and 50 seats FF at the moment.
Current polling does not indicate such a scenario so Yates is obviously assuming the FG campaign will not go well, which I think is pretty much expected
I think even with a half decent campaign FG would be in the 40s, I don’t see them gaining much if anything
FG and FF got a combined 94 seats in 2016
I expect them to lose seats combined in Dublin and while they may gain some combined in the country I’d be very surprised to see them come in at over 100 combined
I think FG losing about 5/6 seats and FF gaining 5/6 is a very plausible scenario
I’d expect to see Jim O’Callaghan pushed very heavily in the campaign by FF
Did I just confuse Coventry with Murphy? How embarrassing. All those white male posh boy fine Gael ministers look the same.
Back of a cigarette packet (ie. a word file) calculations having flicked through the constituencies
I assume my predictions for the Greens are far too optimistic
I’ve lost one seat in the counting too as it only adds up to 159 and I couldn’t be arsed counting again
FF-SF-Green coalition looks the most likely if those involved agree to it
FG 43
FF 50
GREEN 16
SF 18
LAB 8
SOC DEM 3
OTHER 21
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Verona Murphy has announced that she will be announcing tomorrow if she is to contest the General Election in Wexford.
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Please be John Delaney, please be John Delaney
It’s probably some monosyllabic former Waterford hurler standing for Fine Gael
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A word file!!! Surely it’s an Excel job
4 seats and Dan the man didn’t get one
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I wondered if it would be Derek