Anyone able to post full article here or in another thread ?
He’s a political journalist now🤔
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The points he makes are what the dogs on the streets are barking . Also Athy will always be a shithole regardless of the government .
Anyone else think Ewan is the bop off Alan Hawe? I’m too lazy to log it in the lookalikes thread
With respect, if this is the main aim of SF now as opposed to creating a housing plan which builds houses and solving the health crisis then they will lose the protest vote.
I know it’s the main aim to create a United Ireland but the average Joe is more concerned about different issues.
Housing, Health, Childcare, education, Insurance costs for businesses and a decent standard of living.
If SF & the Left can create that space where progress in those issues happens then Unifying the Country is by all means a target.
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Bizarre pivot after he spending a month reciting all the horrendous problems that FFG had resigned the people to
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FF-SF-FG grand coalition is very much being considered and spoken about in Dáil Éireann corridors.
My source tells me that FFG see this as the only plausible strategy to avoid another Election which will screw both parties.
There is a perception that by Diluting SF policies in this coalition that the Protest vote will be gone in 5 years once FFG have infected SF.
Plus they get the applause of forming a Grand Coalition with the mantra of putting the Country first.
Now, the constant media barking that FF & FG are not taking the National Interest seriously by avoiding the SF voters is probably a strategy Mary Lou should tone down on.
It appears Moneymen somewhere want this SF rising stunted & feel that FFGSF coalition is the simplest form of destroying SF in the long term.
Question now is, has Mary Lou backed her party into a corner and will she find it hard to swerve FFG?
The Department of Finance are concerned at SF manifesto. They are preparing for Pearse.
There is no doubt that the best way to stop the populist gallop of SF is to stick them in government where the real world of making decisions will catch up with them, as it does any other party.
Each of FF and FG would be happy enough if the other took the bullet of going into coalition with SF while they sat on the sidelines screaming blue murder. So maybe your solution gets past it all - they all have skin in the game.
Downside - no real opposition.
If this situation arises it represents the best chance for the Labour Party to have a viable future . I don’t see it happening though .
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If it’s in the print edition I’ll post up a photo of it later.
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sad that a FFG supporter is throwing out populism rather than looking at the real reasons behind the discontent
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Really disappointing. But he is gone from the party with 18 months so probably not official policy
With respect, it’s not the aim of the party…it’s the harsh reality of where we are at. They don’t have the numbers to go in, and how stable would it be if they did go in? Housing and all the other issues go without saying…
I accept the real reasons behind the discontent- it’s self-evident. It’s the flagrant populism of easy and quick solutions that I take issue with.
I’m an up to date member, Sonny… I’m just not on active duty presently.
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You’re mistaking popular policies for populism.
Take house building and SFs ambitions to build 100% more houses than FG. Might be difficult to achieve, absolutely. But it’s a policy that if successful would have a long term positive impact and leave the state in a healthier place with a more stable housing market and a stock of housing assets. FGs response is to continue to subsidise landowners and landlords, continue to blow insane money on current spending that leaves no state asset at the end and won’t fix the problem long term.
One policy is a proven failure and has negatively impacted a lot of people, the other policy is a change of direction and makes sense to people and proved popular and many voted for it. That’s not populism.
Problem with sound bite policies is lack of any detail.
Where will they build houses. What amenities - shops, schools etc will they build beside them. What about transport. How will they fast track planning.
Who will qualify for social housing and on what terms? Will it be available to buy and/or rent?
How will local authorities deal with anti social behaviour and non payment of rent to avoid ghettoes.
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Yes those are all pieces that have to be progressed in tandem. Some of your questions there are the types of things that would be addressed in a statutory instrument, not even legislation. I don’t think anyone expects that level of detail ore election.
But hey, it suits you to call it a “soundbite policy”.
FGs policy is equally “soundbite”. “We’re ideologically opposed to the state substantially providing services so let’s further subsidise rich people until the problems go away.”
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It does not suit me to call it sound bite.
I’d like a cross party group to get together to formulate a plan similar to what has been done with slaintecare for health.
This will take ten years to fix and you don’t want governments and parties coming in and out and starting from scratch each time or playing politics
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