Which party will you vote for in the upcoming election and why?

nicegirl

Hi everyone

If this thread has been done already, feel free to close it.

I will vote for Sinn Fein, as I have supported them for some time, and they are a party who are commited to really doing something right for the country, and identify with the ordinary person.

How about you?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Dannyboy83

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Same with the exception that I would happily vote for a competent socialist party - if we actually had one to vote for.

Max Power1

Fine Gael.

By process of elimination.

I wont vote for FF, and certainly am not pro union so wouldnt vote for the socialist "screw the workers pay the scroungers" labour or SF.

Kev_ps3

Probably Sinn Fein, unless a more radical party comes along which doesn't look likely at this stage:(
Voting Labour/FG is voting for the criminal establishment imo.

zootroid

Fine Gael.

They're the only option for a centre right party. The last time I voted Fine Gael - Labour - Green, in the hope that FF might lose, only for the Greens to go in with FF. I won't make that mistake again

[Jackass]

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

Voting Labour/FG is voting for the criminal establishment imo.

LoL :pac:

Personally, I'll be voting for FG / Labour. I didn't vote for FF once in the whole time they were in power, and I'm not entirely happy with the options available, but a FG / Labour coalition is my preference.

I will never vote Greens again, as I gave Gormley my vote after discussing removal of the current Government and he only goes and jumps into bed with them soon after, so they're blacklisted for life.

Badabing

Fianna Fail 1 and 2, we have had big investment in our rail, roads and luas. Sinn Fein are just a bunch of criminals who will be shown up for what they are during the campaign. Gerry Adams running in bloody Louth! They buried half the 'missing' there.

casandra

Would'nt it be interesting to get a truly honest answer from dyed in the wool, born and bred, card carrying members of Fiana Fail

gandalf

Based on their re-inventing Government policy document I will be giving FG my vote and then I will be voting tactically with my preferences to try and get one if not two of the sitting FF TD's out of my constituency.

As for Sinn Fein what does "committed to really doing something right for the country" really mean? From what I see they are a party of protest and opposition and they do not have any coherent economic policies that stand up to scrutiny. I am open for correction here.

gandalf

Badabing wrote: »

Fianna Fail 1 and 2, we have had big investment in our rail, roads and luas.

While technically that is true that investment happened when we were reaping in tax takes based on property bubble taxes. That is now gone. The failed economic policies of FF have landed us in a severe economic depression that has decimated the domestic economy and capital projects like those you describe are now going to be starved of investment even more because we now have to pay back a 100 billion plus loan to the ECB and IMF to protect the banks of our European partners.

I really think you should reconsider who you give you vote to because not only have FF failed in their stewardship of the economy they have handed over a large portion of our financial sovereignty to outsiders. Hardly the actions of a party that labels itself as the Republican party. Maybe we should sue them for false advertising as well

I will be voting Fianna Fáil and Labour. My reasoning behind it is more of a process of elimination. In the next term, there will be great pressure put on Ireland to raise corporation tax which will be the final bullet to the country. I don't believe that Enda Kenny has the balls to step up against europe. The Socialists want to increase corporation tax?!

I know that Fianna Fáil are not going to be a popular choice this time around but I do feel that there is unfair bias against them. They were a party in Government at a time when there was money available and they used that money to help the little man. I come from a working class background and I know we are much better with thanks to Fianna Fáil even now that the IMF are here. There have been cuts but still we are not at 1996 levels...

Labour I feel deserve a good shot at leadership too. They have some good candiates and their champagne socialism is a nice idea. I think if they can go into government with FF, they could make a winning team. However the likes of Rabbitte could hold things back...

Sinn Féin are another good choice however while there is still a connection with the IRA, I feel it morally wrong to vote for them.

/my 2 cents

galwayrush

Fine Gael and Labour, hopefully this will ensure that incompetent, and treasonous FF are no where near the top table .
For FF , it's always about the party, we need a change so that our elected people might do what they are suppost to do and manage the country first.

sparkling sea

Not 100% sure yet but I know who I won't be voting for FF or Sinn Fein as neither of these parties will work for the good of Irish people - they only serve themselves.

I have read the propositions of both FF and Sinn Fein and I dont believe what FF say and Sinn Fein are a party of Northern Ireland and their policies are non sensical in the Republic, well really the economic polices seem to make little sense to me anyway.

Its very difficult to decide between Fine Geal and Labour - again I have read several of their policies and there are some that I cant quite get my head around.

Fine Geal propose to cut public sector numbers dramatically - and this is something I would have whole heartedly agreed with until I realised how the current FF embargo is actually affecting people who really need the help of some of the people who work in the public sector.
The other day a lady on a national radio show explained how here 7 year old son needs a heart operation within the next year. She stated that because of the current embargo, people who went on maternity or sick leave were not being covered in hospitals. Neither were people who left their employment for what ever reason, all this being done to save money and stay in budget - fair enough. However she then went on to say that 250 childrens heart operations will be cancelled this year because of the embargo, however the childrens operations will be preoformed in the UK or America at double and triple the cost so that said embargo is not affected - how fecking Irish.

Further, a person I know works as a Social Worker for a recruitment agency, this person told me that more than half their wage is paid to the recruitment agency because that is how much the recruitment agency charge. Said recruitment agency can only charge this much because of the public sector embargo, as Social Care Workers must be on duty but there is no mechanism under the embargo to replace people who are - yes you guessed on sick or maternity leave, those who retire, etc.

This embargo and these cost cutting measures are costing this country a fortune. It would appear that money is actually going to leave the country to pay for operations, etc that could be preformed here at a much lower cost. I find these types of policies to be arse covering to the extreme, they are self serving and I would like to know how FG plan to deal with policies such as the embargo .

Labour - the union is my problem with Labour - it has to be obvious to every one that the majority of union members do not vote for Labour yet some unions pay towards the Labour party and Labour members election campaigns.
Labour know the money is not gifted to them by the people whos pockets its coming from so why do they accept this money ? It worries me that they allow this type of mechanism to operate within their party.

I suppose I will have to keep reading the policies of these parties but its very hard to figure out what the better option for preferences would be.

Wolfe Tone

I will be voting for SF, they have constantly called the govt up on things. I will have labour high up too.

bmaxi

It's not as easy a choice as it looks. I will definitely not have FF on my ballot paper, because of the general fcuk up they've made of things and the corruption that goes along with them but the calibre of the opposition candidates in my area is not great, so it's Hobson's choice.
The FG candidate in my area is a dynastical politician, one of my pet hates. His father was a useless piece of **** and I don't have any higher expectations of him. The Labour candidate is a long serving TD who needs to retire, I won't consider SF for one minute and even if there were any decent independents running, I think they'd be wasted in a Dáil that's likely to have a large government majority.
I wish we could elect our politicians on the same basis as the EU/IMF loan and we could reassess their performance every three months.

johnnyskeleton

I usually give my first preferences to an independent. Not a Flynn, Healy-Rae or Lowry type independent, but a Joe Higgins/Gregory's Girl or a single issue candidate.

The reasons for so doing are:
1) gets them closer to getting a refund and encourages more independent parties to run;
2) more independent TDs are good for the dail as it means different views to those of the mainstream are present (if not particularly well heard);
3) in addition, it reduces the stranglehold of power between the big parties and among the party whips, forcing them to have arguments more convincing than "that's how are party is voting so that's how you're voting".
4) It is a way of registerring dissatisfaction with the main political parties without going down the apathy route.

As for the major parties, this is a tough one. Needless to say FF are definately not getting any preference from me. FG are often presented as the only real alternative, but I have some serious concerns about that party. IMO, they are just FF lite as seen in their performances throughout the bank guarantee and NAMA issues (they supported the guarantee and it was only when it was abundantly clear that bailing out the banks was unpopular did they change tack). I also think Enda is a good leader for FG because he will appoint his cronies to power just as FF have done. So it will very much be a case of "the king is dead / long live the king" with FG in power. As pointed out earlier, I also doubt that they will have the stones to stand up to the EU/IMF.

Labour are a more attractive option because they opposed the bank bailouts from the get go and, while a lot of people don't like Joan Burton, she and John Bruton were the only people to make any kind of rational arguments about it. On the other hand, there are doubts as to whether Labour will make the necessary cuts. IMO, if Labour came out with a message that they would cut all the quangos they would be in an ideal position. It would save a massive amount of money for the state, but it would also be making cuts not to frontline unionised PS workers, but to the chaff that got their positions by political patronage from FF. Overall, I think Labour are the most honest of the main political parties and I think it is honesty we need more than anything else (hopefully the IMF will ensure that the cuts are made).

SF are doing well as the protest vote. However, I'm not sure I necessarily subscribe to their views.

The Greens are an interesting one, because while on the one hand they were in power with FF and share the blame, on the other hand they were naieve to do so rather than corrupt. I also think that it would be a little unfair if the greens were destroyed in this election because basically, they do what all junior parties in a FF coalition do - as a heatsink for criticisms best levelled at FF. So I won't entirely write the Greens off, although I'm not sure I'd give them a preference either.

So I have by no means made up my mind, as it is more of a dilema between the two least bad parties than an actual choice.

sligopark

FG ... until Libertas return.

My other preferences as above go independent.

Nozebleed

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Reuniting the island. unlike all the other political parties.

sligopark

Nozebleed wrote: »

Reuniting the island. unlike all the other political parties.

Hate to burst your bubble but SF signed up to the Good Friday Agreement and agreed to deliver British government and sit on RUC PSNI police boards ....

Didn't Martin McGuinness call those involved in armed conflict to re-unite the Island 'Traitors' ?

irishh_bob

sparkling sea wrote: »

Not 100% sure yet but I know who I won't be voting for FF or Sinn Fein as neither of these parties will work for the good of Irish people - they only serve themselves.

I have read the propositions of both FF and Sinn Fein and I dont believe what FF say and Sinn Fein are a party of Northern Ireland and their policies are non sensical in the Republic, well really the economic polices seem to make little sense to me anyway.

Its very difficult to decide between Fine Geal and Labour - again I have read several of their policies and there are some that I cant quite get my head around.

Fine Geal propose to cut public sector numbers dramatically - and this is something I would have whole heartedly agreed with until I realised how the current FF embargo is actually affecting people who really need the help of some of the people who work in the public sector.
The other day a lady on a national radio show explained how here 7 year old son needs a heart operation within the next year. She stated that because of the current embargo, people who went on maternity or sick leave were not being covered in hospitals. Neither were people who left their employment for what ever reason, all this being done to save money and stay in budget - fair enough. However she then went on to say that 250 childrens heart operations will be cancelled this year because of the embargo, however the childrens operations will be preoformed in the UK or America at double and triple the cost so that said embargo is not affected - how fecking Irish.

Further, a person I know works as a Social Worker for a recruitment agency, this person told me that more than half their wage is paid to the recruitment agency because that is how much the recruitment agency charge. Said recruitment agency can only charge this much because of the public sector embargo, as Social Care Workers must be on duty but there is no mechanism under the embargo to replace people who are - yes you guessed on sick or maternity leave, those who retire, etc.

This embargo and these cost cutting measures are costing this country a fortune. It would appear that money is actually going to leave the country to pay for operations, etc that could be preformed here at a much lower cost. I find these types of policies to be arse covering to the extreme, they are self serving and I would like to know how FG plan to deal with policies such as the embargo .

Labour - the union is my problem with Labour - it has to be obvious to every one that the majority of union members do not vote for Labour yet some unions pay towards the Labour party and Labour members election campaigns.
Labour know the money is not gifted to them by the people whos pockets its coming from so why do they accept this money ? It worries me that they allow this type of mechanism to operate within their party.

I suppose I will have to keep reading the policies of these parties but its very hard to figure out what the better option for preferences would be.

always amazes me how the parents of ill kids never seem to connect the dots between over paid hospital staff ( consultants , nurses , surplus to requirement administrators ) and cuts to patient services

if wages were reduced ( croke park binned ) then thier would be no effect to the public


il be voting for FG , this despite the fact that the FF td in my constituency is far superior and also , i dont rate enda at all

kev9100

Labour. FG are cut from exactly the same cloth as FF and anyone who thinks Enda would be a good taoiseach is deluding themselves. Gilmore and Labour are the only electable party offering real change.

melekalikimaka

ideally independents, i have more faith in a reformed FF government than FG/Labour, FF have been backed into a position where reform is inevitable, however FG have been shown to be utter cowards and incapable of arguing, let alone leading, and Labour... well do we need then and SF in a civilized country, i dont think so

lorcan122

I will be voting Fine Gael they are the only logical choice,as labour have no ideas, and have no plans made out for the country unlike fine gael. And the plan they made up is just Large amounts of the document are a mere carbon copy of Fine Gael's "Reinventing Government" and "New Politics" documents.

'Similarities' include:

· Abolishing the Seanad

· The introduction of the "Ten Minute Rule" which would allow backbenchers introduce bills is a copy of New Politics

· The proposed FG 'Independent Fiscal Council' has been imaginatively renamed by Labour as the 'Independent Fiscal Advisory Council'

· Labour's new structures for introducing the budget are almost identical to those in New Politics and Reinventing Government

· A Register of Lobbyists and a Whistleblowers charter are the same as New Politics

· Labour want a dedicated Minister at cabinet in relation to Reform, the same as FG from Reinventing Government

· Labour's "Constitutional Convention" is largely based on New Politics "Citizens Assembly".

"The Labour document is very aspirational in tone but does not include decisive action points. For example, Fine Gael will abolish 150 quangos yet Labour wants a "review". Labour clearly doesn't want to take any tough stances this side of the election.

So labour obviously does not have a brain between them to make up their own ideas.

And sinn Fein will raise tax to the rate of certain doom. So Fine Gael will have my vote.

sligopark

kev9100 wrote: »

Gilmore and Labour are the only electable party offering real change.

perhaps I am being cynical but after his wife held their local community over a barrel for half a million for land adjacent to the local school I wouldn't hold my breathe here either ...

besides Labour can't wait to get the EU in to ride rough shod over Irish voters centralist opinion and force a more liberal agenda not presently wanted by the Irish electorate

then like FF they can blame the EU

femur61

I'll vote for FG. Would love to know the age profile of SF voters. I'm 42 so remember all the innocent people they apparantly murdered on my behalf because maybe the younger voter is not aware of their paramilitary links. And yes SF and IRA IMO are one and the same. They have no policies in my view anyway.

Funfair

Fianna Fail as this recession is good for my business

wyndhurst

seems like it boils down to two options.
1. if you want small government (reduced public service, etc) and retain low taxes - then FG is the choice
2. if you want higher taxes, increase of the social welfare state and unions in power - then vote Labour

Well maybe there is a third option....if you are looking for a party that are expert at liberating cash from the banks - then SF are the proven experts here (evidence NI bank 'withdrawl')

Hhmmm - as a normal worker that would like to try and keep the few bob I have I think I'll be voting FG.

CoalBucket

How bout putting up a poll

phantom_lord

While I major reservations, FG seem best option at the moment.

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

I will be voting for SF, they have constantly called the govt up on things.

just that, not on the basis of any perceived skill in governance or solid economic policies?

paul71

phantom_lord wrote: »

While I major reservations, FG seem best option at the moment.



just that, not on the basis of any perceived skill in governance or solid economic policies?

Hardly posible to vote for SF on their economic policy, they don't have one.

Ken.

sinn fien if theres one running in my area.

GoneHome

Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein mainly because the prospect of "Inda" as Taoiseach and Joan Burton as Minister for Finance doesn't bear thinking about!

wyndhurst

lucyfur09 wrote: »

sinn fien if theres one running in my area.

Move to Louth and vote for Mr Adams.
He is possibly a geographical genious when it comes to Louth. I'd bet he would know all the best locations for digging a few indiscrete holes in the ground.

paul71

GoneHome wrote: »

Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein mainly because the prospect of "Inda" as Taoiseach and Joan Burton as Minister for Finance doesn't bear thinking about!

So you'd like Brian as Taoiseach and Garry A, as minister of finance. Allowing SF communist ideas anywhere near government would led to us begging the Brits to take us back.

NSNO

Fine Gael candidates, followed by Greens, followed by Labour candidates.

Would never vote Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, ULA etc.

I think that regardless of how other centre to centre-right voters like myself may feel about some of Labour's rhetoric and their union powerbase, we have to bite the bullet and preference them. Especially people living in the bigger constiuencies or those where there is a real danger of far-left candidates being elected.


Whatever the composition of the government, we simply cannot allow extremists to hold the balance of power in the next Dáil. Every seat matters.

sligopark

paul71 wrote: »

Allowing SF communist ideas anywhere near government would led to us begging the Brits to take us back.

A communist might be ok but a marxist the like of Gerry the willing passive informer - you are right we would be screwed

FreudianSlippers

I'll be voting for Fine Gael myself.

sparkling sea

irishh_bob wrote: »

always amazes me how the parents of ill kids never seem to connect the dots between over paid hospital staff ( consultants , nurses , surplus to requirement administrators ) and cuts to patient services

if wages were reduced ( croke park binned ) then thier would be no effect to the public


il be voting for FG , this despite the fact that the FF td in my constituency is far superior and also , i dont rate enda at all

Don't know what her opinion was on staff wages, she may well have thought the were overpaid, she may even think they are underpaid I don't know. Send children out of the the country with the stress that goes with that was a huge factor for her but her biggest problem was the the cost of the operation in the UK or America was at least double the cost of preforming the operation in Ireland. The operations could be preformed here but that would show that the embargo was unworkable. The way its now been down means the public are given the impression that the embargo is working and the cost are being cut.
In reality children are leaving Ireland unnecessarily causing extreme stress to all involved. Further people are losing their there jobs without need and more inportantly money is leaving the country and its our government who are spending it abroad instead of her

Ken.

wyndhurst wrote: »

Move to Louth and vote for Mr Adams.
He is possibly a geographical genious when it comes to Louth. I'd bet he would know all the best locations for digging a few indiscrete holes in the ground.

I probably wouldn't get registered in time

Liam Byrne

GoneHome wrote: »

Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein mainly because the prospect of "Inda" as Taoiseach and Joan Burton as Minister for Finance doesn't bear thinking about!

What do you say both you and I save ourselves a trip to the polls, so, considering we'll cancel each other out ?

FF & SF are the two parties that won't be getting ANY preference from me in a million years!

But stunning to note that some people believe that the prospect of Enda Kenny & Joan Burton could even remotely be a worse prospect than Cowen & Lenihan.........

Oasis44

It'll be a cold day in hell before i would ever vote SF - a bunch of northern Ireland politicians with more IRA connections than you could shake a stick at in government?? I'd rather stick with Biffo thanks very much.

56lcd

GoneHome wrote: »

Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein mainly because the prospect of "Inda" as Taoiseach and Joan Burton as Minister for Finance doesn't bear thinking about!

I can't believe that there are still people that would admit to voting fianna fail.
How much more destruction do they need to do before the "grassroot" failers cop on

Dozen Wicked Words

Socialist Party (United Left Alliance), if, as expected, a local candidate stands, SF, Labour on preference.

Voting that way because that is my political ideology.

Pete_Cavan

FG all the way. Not only do I agree with most of their policies (Re-inventing Government, NewEra, FreeCare), they are the only party to put forward realistic solutions to the current problems. Labour and SF policies are just a series of platitudes and populist statements like "protect the vulnerable" and "make the rich pay" without any details on how they will do this and aid economic recovery. I will vote for a FF candidate before Labour or SF.

I am hoping FG get enough to form a government with a the help of independents such as Shane Ross and Noel Grealish but the likes of Healy Rea should be told to feck off. I really hope we dont get a FG/Lab coalition as there i no enough common ground between the two and the last thing the country needs is Joan Burton as Minister for Finance.

paul71

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

FG all the way. Not only do I agree with most of their policies (Re-inventing Government, NewEra, FreeCare), they are the only party to put forward realistic solutions to the current problems. Labour and SF policies are just a series of platitudes and populist statements like "protect the vulnerable" and "make the rich pay" without any details on how they will do this and aid economic recovery. I will vote for a FF candidate before Labour or SF.

I am hoping FG get enough to form a government with a the help of independents such as Shane Ross and Noel Grealish but the likes of Healy Rea should be told to feck off. I really hope we dont get a FG/Lab coalition as there i no enough common ground between the two and the last thing the country needs is Joan Burton as Minister for Finance.

I would be adverse to a few of the better FF TDs walking accross the floor of the house and joining FG with Ross and Grealish, to keep the spend and tax SF and Labour out of the equation.

Wolfe Tone

phantom_lord wrote: »

While I major reservations, FG seem best option at the moment.



just that, not on the basis of any perceived skill in governance or solid economic policies?

I'm being realistic, they wont get in to govt will they? Not this time round anyway. If they do, great.

I want SF as a large opposition party, which is a realistic expectation.

later12

Fine Gael, firstly, then perhaps Fianna Fáil. I would be reluctant to vote for Fianna Fáil this time around, because I think it would be best for the party to go through a baptism of fire, but I do still have a vote in a constituency where I have respect for a local Fianna Fáiler who will run, and has strong potential to win and perform well for the party into the future.

Anyway, whatever about that, the worst thing the country could do right now would be to install left wing loons into office; personally I would include Labour in that set, though they pale in comparison with SF and the face palm inducing United Left Alliance. My vote will be right of centre, although not allowing for coalition possibilities.

paul71

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

I'm being realistic, they wont get in to govt will they? Not this time round anyway. If they do, great.

I want SF as a large opposition party, which is a realistic expectation.

Can I ask Mussolini what is SFs policy on tax and Public spending. Have a look at their website they don't have one, other than stating that social welfare and Public services need to be maintained. Voting for a party who simply dodge questions on econimic policy is highly irresponsible. If they do get into government they will do a quicker job of destroying this country than the current bunch of idiots.

Wolfe Tone

paul71 wrote: »

Can I ask Mussolini what is SFs policy on tax and Public spending. Have a look at their website they don't have one, other than stating that social welfare and Public services need to be maintained. Voting for a party who simply dodge questions on econimic policy is highly irresponsible. If they do get into government they will do a quicker job of destroying this country than the current bunch of idiots.

You obviously need to look harder on the site.

I'm not some sort of spokesman for SF.

sligopark

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

You obviously need to look harder on the site.

very hard for anything of economics