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FG and Independents will form next government

  • 16-02-2011 1:24pm
    #1
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭


    With FG riding high in the polls, they may be within shouting distance of overall majority after the election. Notable independent candidates are coming out now (Shane Ross, Sommerville) and saying that in principle they would support FG if they got their demands met and they got elected

    I think this would be a stabler government than FG/Lab coalition
    what do ye think ?


Comments

  • #2
    bleg
    Registered Users Posts: 5,848 ✭✭✭bleg


    At least guys like Sommerville and Ross wouldn't hold the government to parish pump promises but rather would hold them to national issues incl political reform.


  • #3
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    bleg wrote: »
    At least guys like Sommerville and Ross wouldn't hold the government to parish pump promises but rather would hold them to national issues incl political reform.

    Yes they would be a world apart from the Jackie Healy Rae type independents that FF liked to use


  • #4
    county man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 120 ✭✭county man


    The thing is say if FG get 70-75 seats.They would need the support of 8 to 13 independents to form a minority government.Im not sure if that would be likely so I still think it will be a FG Labour coalition.


  • #5
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    bleg wrote: »
    At least guys like Sommerville and Ross wouldn't hold the government to parish pump promises but rather would hold them to national issues incl political reform.

    Thats an unfortunate juxtapostion ;) Who's Flurry Knox and who is the R.M.?


  • #6
    De Dannan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 486 ✭✭De Dannan


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    With FG riding high in the polls, they may be within shouting distance of overall majority after the election. Notable independent candidates are coming out now (Shane Ross, Sommerville) and saying that in principle they would support FG if they got their demands met and they got elected

    I think this would be a stabler government than FG/Lab coalition
    what do ye think ?

    I think it would be a lot stabler. FG and Labour have always seemed too much of a contrast to me. If FG want to do something radical about public sector reform and the trade unions, i couldnt see Labour going along with that at all, for example


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  • #7
    R28
    Registered Users Posts: 134 ✭✭R28


    De Dannan wrote: »
    I think it would be a lot stabler. FG and Labour have always seemed too much of a contrast to me.

    I don't know why people keep on saying this. Do they forget that the last government before the current long FF reign was a FG/Labour coalition with assorted extras?


  • #8
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    R28 wrote: »
    I don't know why people keep on saying this. Do they forget that the last government before the current long FF reign was a FG/Labour coalition with assorted extras?

    Its just more logical that a single party government is more stable than a coalition


  • #9
    gcgirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,044 ✭✭✭gcgirl


    Labour is Fine Gaels social conscence( spelling is a bit meh here using iPhone predicted text)


  • #10
    PeterIanStaker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭PeterIanStaker


    mike65 wrote: »
    Thats an unfortunate juxtapostion ;) Who's Flurry Knox and who is the R.M.?

    Don't blame me, I voted for Major Yeates!


    Seriously though, they would be an asset to the Dail and perhaps rehabilitate the notion of an Independent TD as something other than a closet FF man.


  • #11
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    With FG riding high in the polls, they may be within shouting distance of overall majority after the election. Notable independent candidates are coming out now (Shane Ross, Sommerville) and saying that in principle they would support FG if they got their demands met and they got elected

    I think this would be a stabler government than FG/Lab coalition
    what do ye think ?

    not a religous man but praying that fine gael ( even with enda ) can form a goverment without labour , id actually perfer see the likes of shane ross in goverment as fine gael isnt hard headed enough on many issues


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  • #12
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    My memory of the rainbow coalition is one of stability. I would rate it as one of the better governments i have seen but then again that wouldnt be difficult:o. Fg at 70 and Lab at 40 would be more unstable as the more vocal TDs would start doing solo runs on certain issues affecting their constituencies as 110 government TDs leaves a majority of 54. I dont like saying it but FG(72?) and SF(15?) might just be more stable but thats not likely to happen


  • #13
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    not a religous man but praying that fine gael ( even with enda ) can form a goverment without labour , id actually perfer see the likes of shane ross in goverment as fine gael isnt hard headed enough on many issues

    I would certanly prefer to see Shane Ross and Paul Sommerville in there maybe even talking to the EU and IMF on our behalf than Joan Burton


  • #14
    De Dannan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 486 ✭✭De Dannan


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    I would certanly prefer to see Shane Ross and Paul Sommerville in there maybe even talking to the EU and IMF on our behalf than Joan Burton

    Yes its time for some people in politics who might know something about what they are talking about.


  • #15
    RandolphEsq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,296 ✭✭✭RandolphEsq


    gcgirl wrote: »
    Labour is Fine Gaels social conscence( spelling is a bit meh here using iPhone predicted text)

    Labour's conscience comes from the unions being the biggest donaters to the election campaigns of Burton, Gilmore and Quinn! FG no social conscience? Wtf?


  • #16
    analucija
    Closed Accounts Posts: 363 ✭✭analucija


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    Yes they would be a world apart from the Jackie Healy Rae type independents that FF liked to use

    And you think they would say no to those independents? Shane Ross can blackmail FG over national policies just as well as Healy Rae over local policies. The independents with "national" agenda are not running to be ignored somewhere in the back benches and if Shane ROss decided not to run for FG we can guess that he won't just say yes to anything they suggest. We need strong government with comfortable majority and if that includes "local" independents then so be it.

    I think to much is expected of new government and a lot of people will be disappointed in couple of months time. Stable government would be a good beginning and I'm not hoping for much more.


  • #17
    Killer Pigeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,132 ✭✭✭Killer Pigeon


    RandolphEsq wrote: »
    Labour's conscience comes from the unions being the biggest donaters to the election campaigns of Burton, Gilmore and Quinn! FG no social conscience? Wtf?

    Source? Labour receives 4% of their funding from Unions.


  • #18
    Elmer Blooker
    Registered Users Posts: 6,033 ✭✭✭Elmer Blooker


    A FG/Ind government might be a good thing I think for two reasons.
    1. Labour would be the main opposition party and this could well lead to the extinction of FF (wishful thinking)
    2. History has shown that Lab lose their identity and end up a weaker party after coalition with FG and this would only benefit the cute hoor party.


  • #19
    mewso
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 8,811 Mod ✭✭✭✭mewso


    I'm a Labour supporter in general (not a card carrying member or anything) but somewhat disillusioned with them these days and I would much prefer them not to be a minority party in the next government.

    As Elmer Booker said this could place Labour as the main opposition party and not allow FF to position themselves for the usual swap over next time around. It might also allow them to better define themselves too as they are a bit lost as a party imo these days.

    It would also allow Labour to avoid the inevitable negative result of being the minority party. Blamed if anything goes wrong while the majority party takes credit for what works.

    I genuinely believe FG are full of empty promises but with Labour in power with them they have an easy out (they stymied us) when their promises can't be delivered as I expect but if they can deliver then fine let them away without Labour interfering.


  • #20
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    mewso wrote: »
    I genuinely believe FG are full of empty promises but with Labour in power with them they have an easy out (they stymied us) when their promises can't be delivered as I expect but if they can deliver then fine let them away without Labour interfering.

    I think thats a good point
    If FG and Labour go in a coalition they can blame each other for failures they might face in the future
    If FG have a OM they have to deliver or face the consequences come next election


  • #21
    bamboozle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,699 ✭✭✭bamboozle


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    I would certanly prefer to see Shane Ross and Paul Sommerville in there maybe even talking to the EU and IMF on our behalf than Joan Burton

    me also, I hope if Sommerville fails to win a seat that a role is found somewhere for him where his knowledge & understanding of the banking/financial crisis can be utilised to the good of the state.


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  • #22
    RandolphEsq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,296 ✭✭✭RandolphEsq


    Killer Pigeon wrote: »
    Source? Labour receives 4% of their funding from Unions.

    The party do, but the individuals' sugar daddies are the Unions. Labour are the working class Fine Fail


  • #23
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    The FG/Lab campaign now seems to have decended into slagging each other off. I know its all about vote getting at this stage but it doesnt bode well for a potential coalition !


  • #24
    questionmark?
    Registered Users Posts: 3,071 ✭✭✭questionmark?


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    The FG/Lab campaign now seems to have decended into slagging each other off. I know its all about vote getting at this stage but it doesnt bode well for a potential coalition !

    To be fair its does seem like Lab slagging FG i.e. those ads in the paper for example.

    IMHO I think that they know FG are pulling ahead and pulling ahead fast while theirs seems to be stagnating and are trying to reign the FG surge in, in the hope that it stops FG gaining an overall majority because they want to be part of the next government.


  • #25
    RandolphEsq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,296 ✭✭✭RandolphEsq


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    The FG/Lab campaign now seems to have decended into slagging each other off. I know its all about vote getting at this stage but it doesnt bode well for a potential coalition !
    Gomes started it off, instead of focusing on running a proper campaign. Those newspaper ads were pathetic; real tabloid style scare tactics. He is a sweating pig now that he has gomes things up for labour. He went from being the most favoured man to be taoiseach, to now being in danger of being the 3rd favourite. He is a headless chicken


  • #26
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    RandolphEsq wrote: »
    Gomes started it off, instead of focusing on running a proper campaign. Those newspaper ads were pathetic; real tabloid style scare tactics. He is a sweating pig now that he has gomes things up for labour. He went from being the most favoured man to be taoiseach, to now being in danger of being the 3rd favourite. He is a headless chicken

    Yes and getting the trade unions to scaremonger public sector workers is also a very low tactic by Gilmore


  • #27
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    I would certanly prefer to see Shane Ross and Paul Sommerville in there maybe even talking to the EU and IMF on our behalf than Joan Burton

    sommerville hasnt a hope of being elected , he only gathered a profile in the past four or five months , he simply isnt recognisable enough to the majority of people who dont tune into vincent browne , unlike shane ross , he also lacks charisma , peter mathews ( former bank CEO ) is a thumping bore but the FG machine will see him over the line


  • #28
    RandolphEsq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,296 ✭✭✭RandolphEsq


    th3 s1aught3r wrote: »
    Yes and getting the trade unions to scaremonger public sector workers is also a very low tactic by Gilmore

    They pull his strings though


  • #29
    onekeano
    Registered Users Posts: 214 ✭✭onekeano


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    sommerville hasnt a hope of being elected , he only gathered a profile in the past four or five months , he simply isnt recognisable enough to the majority of people who dont tune into vincent browne , unlike shane ross , he also lacks charisma , peter mathews ( former bank CEO ) is a thumping bore but the FG machine will see him over the line

    LOL!!!! I was at the Sommerville meeting tonight...... I thought Gurdgive was brilliant and as usual McWilliams can relate all the numbers to people in a really eloquent way - both guys on top of their game.

    What really impressed me was that both of these very insightful guys gave 110% endorsement to Paul Sommerville not just because of his technical ability as an economist but also because of his passion to provide the solutions not just for Ireland but for Europe as a whole.

    For anyone who was at the meeting I am sure they would give Sommerville their number 1 and hopefully spread the word...

    Roy


  • #30
    th3 s1aught3r
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,925 ✭✭✭th3 s1aught3r


    With the big independent vote this is back on the cards ?


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  • #31
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    The total vote % means little for independents, most will be eliminated very quickly, but some will certainly thrive - Shane Ross topping the poll in Dublin South but then lefties will also get seats so its doubtful FG will have enough to do any deal with. A pity.


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