What have labour done to infuriate the public so much?

Hotale.com

To be honest I haven't payed much attention to Irish politics in the past few years. Anyone care to enlighten me why they get so much flak compared to Fine Gael?

MRnotlob606

they can't stick to their own policies

suicide_circus

People dont like reality

The One Who Knocks

Basically blame whoever's in government for the country's problems.

Nabber

Hyperbolic promises I'd imagine.

noby

They're the junior coalition party - ergo they get the hammering.

Also, unfulfilling a lot of (empty) promises.

ryan101

They told more lies than any other party, even more than FG/FF/SF, and that is saying something. They became FG's mudflaps, and let FG away with taxing, stealthing and levying the ordinary working person to death, while the rich and connected are protected time and time again, just like the Greens became FF's mudflaps. Labour allowed FG to protect the wealthy and connected in this country from any austerity, while ensuring austerity for ordinary working people. Not that the Labour ministers involved give a shyte now that they already qualified for massive pensions for life.
The Independents, as bad as they are, are the only option left for honest voters in this country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpr2zaXvb4M

The Backwards Man

Purple want governments to give them what they want, not what they need.

The trouble with democracy is people.

wazky

No free cheese initiatives

quickbeam

I think it's unfair that the *minority* party gets the *majority* of flak at voting time. FG should be as decimated as Labour is this weekend.

People are angry because of the broken promises. The Water Charges, the Household Tax, compulsory health insurance, medical cards, garda controversies.

But don't kid yourself. The other crowd wouldn't have done any better.

Striving470

Spineless scumbags.

Muise...

The One Who Knocks wrote: »

Basically blame the smaller party in the coalition whoever's in government for the country's problems.

This is why the Greens got decimated last time, yet FF are on the upward swing.

Hotale.com

Striving470 wrote: »

Spineless scumbags.

But what's the difference between them and FG in that regard?

del roy

made promises they could/would not keep.

childrens allowance
water rates
property tax.
caps on high paid advisors wages

All ingored.

The One Who Knocks

ryan101 wrote: »

They became FG's mudflaps, and let FG away with taxing, stealthing and levying the ordinary working person to death, while the rich are protected time and time again, just like the Greens became FF's mudflaps.

Oh, did they get rid of the standard rate cut off?

road_high

suicide_circus wrote: »

People dont like reality

Fact. Tell them there's a free money tree to end austerity and watch the votes roll in.

Custardpi

ryan101 wrote: »

They became FG's mudflaps, and let FG away with taxing, stealthing and levying the ordinary working person to death, while the rich are protected time and time again, just like the Greens became FF's mudflaps.

And yet FF have now recovered to being the largest party in the state. Labour are probably screwed for 10 years or so while the Greens are only starting to make modest gains again. FF will probably return to government after the next GE, completely forgiven by the electorate for their mismanagement of the economy. Irish politics really is a joke.

Turtwig

Made pre-election promises they knew they couldn't keep. Failed promised are now biting them in the ass.

Don't think they did a bad job in Government, so I have a little sympathy there. But they set themselves up for the spectacular fall the moment they made those promises and decided to join government. Politically the party would have been far far wiser to stay in opposition but they choose to join the government and you reap what you sow. I guess, some of them cared about the country, or wanted the power, whichever, it doesn't matter really. They made promises and then in the eyes of the public they shat on those promises.

Hotale.com

Custardpi wrote: »

And yet FF have now recovered to being the largest party in the state. Labour are probably screwed for 10 years or so while the Greens are only starting to make modest gains again. FF will probably return to government after the next GE, completely forgiven by the electorate for their mismanagement of the economy. Irish politics really is a joke.

Didn't FF support fall compared to the last local election?

Richard Hillman

My unhappiness about them (and mainly Joan Burton) is that they wouldnt allow FG to make cuts in Social Welfare. The only cuts were to the wrong people (people with disabilities and the very sick). They wouldnt go after the careered unemployed and career mothers who splurt out **** loads of kids they cant afford.

Dark sun

NOTHING, that's the problem.

Striving470

Hotale.com wrote: »

But what's the difference between them and FG in that regard?

Fine Gael arnt necessarily spineless...there just bigger scumbags.

suicide_circus

road_high wrote: »

Fact. Tell them there's a free money tree to end austerity and watch the votes roll in.

"Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.." /fleetwood mac

darkpagandeath

They could have at least pressured FG to go after the write down and play hardball and not roll over. They were to busy blindly following the Troika’s budgets. The government in General has just wanted to be the bail out poster boy. The is a reason we never got the write down, We never made a big issue about it And the big players in the EU are happy to say No when were just going ahhh go on...

road_high wrote: »

Fact. Tell them there's a free money tree to end austerity and watch the votes roll in.

There is one The banks have it and are not willing to share it.

The Backwards Man

Muise... wrote: »

This is why the Greens got decimated last time, yet FF are on the upward swing.

The FF surge is largely down to a wave of their supporters who protest voted for Labour in the GE slithering back where they came from, I'd imagine.

Firefox11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpr2zaXvb4M

Turned out to be Frankfurt's in the end eh?....:cool:

titan18

They told people they'd give them all free stuff before the election to get into power.

Once they got in, they realised it's not possible, so the people voted for the party offering them more free stuff

suicide_circus

darkpagandeath wrote: »

They could have at least pressured FG to go after the right down and play hardball and not roll over. They were to busy blindly following the Troika’s budgets. The government in General has just wanted to be the bail out poster boy. The is a reason we never got the right down, We never made a big issue about it And the big players in the EU are happy to say No when were just going ahhh go on...

The troika being the ones who lend us the money to run our bloated public service and unsustainable social welfare? Yeah I'm pretty sure theyre budget was gonna be followed no matter who was in government.

Custardpi

Richard Hillman wrote: »

My unhappiness about them (and mainly Joan Burton) is that they wouldnt allow FG to make cuts in Social Welfare. The only cuts were to the wrong people (people with disabilities and the very sick). They wouldnt go after the careered unemployed and career mothers who splurt out **** loads of kids they cant afford.

You do realise that most people currently unemployed (and those on reduced hours) were working when times were better & will work again when there's more jobs. The tracksuiters in the bookies all day are a small minority of those on JSA/JSB. There is simply a massive shortage of jobs in the country which only mass emigration has alleviated to any great extent. Things are getting a bit better but that's still no reason to punish people down on their luck. There quite simply aren't enough jobs to push people into, however much you slash welfare.

darkpagandeath

suicide_circus wrote: »

The troika being the ones who lend us the money to run our bloated public service and unsustainable social welfare? Yeah I'm pretty sure theyre budget was gonna be followed no matter who was in government.

When did Social welfare bring the country to it's Knees ? You mean all the people on it now that don't have a job since the start of the bailout ?

SEPT 23 1989

Well for starters The blustering red faced windbag millionaire socialist promised so much before the election and then when his tissue of lies got him elected the coward hid in foreign affairs

Fr_Dougal

Let's not forget:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHN18Rzhk_c

Tiddlypeeps

ryan101 wrote: »

let FG away with taxing, stealthing and levying the ordinary working person to death, while the rich are protected time and time again

Care to explain how the rich are "protected" with regard to taxation?

Such an ignorant post that spouted time and time again. If we lived in the US then I would totally agree with you, but we do not. The rich in this country pay a crazy high tax rate. So do the middle classes, and I agree that's an issue, but that dose not mean that the rich are not picking up a tremendous portion of the tab.

Our issue in this country isn't tax. The tax system is just fine. It's over spending on ****ty inefficient services that is the problem.

suicide_circus

darkpagandeath wrote: »

When did Social welfare bring the country to it's Knees ? You mean all the people on it now that don't have a job since the start of the bailout ?

Where did I say that? Welfare has to be paid for and the only source of credit the country has is the troika. The idea that SF or the likes would have told them to fook off is laughable.

Wicklowrider

road_high wrote: »

Fact. Tell them there's a free money tree to end austerity and watch the votes roll in.

See, that is the kind of condescending self important comment that got FG and Lab kicked in the balls. As long as they keep treating people as being simple the longer it will be before they get thsoe votes..

Hotale.com

Poll added.

Richard Hillman

Custardpi wrote: »

You do realise that most people currently unemployed (and those on reduced hours) were working when times were better & will work again when there's more jobs. The tracksuiters in the bookies all day are a small minority of those on JSA/JSB. There is simply a massive shortage of jobs in the country which only mass emigration has alleviated to any great extent. Things are getting a bit better but that's still no reason to punish people down on their luck. There quite simply aren't enough jobs to push people into, however much you slash welfare.

i am fully aware of that. That is why I said "Career Unemployed", as in the lifers. I have spent many a time in a dole queue, you can spot them straight off.

RobertKK

Hotale.com wrote: »

To be honest I haven't payed much attention to Irish politics in the past few years. Anyone care to enlighten me why they get so much flak compared to Fine Gael?

Labour down 12% in their vote since the general election.
Fine Gael down about 14%.

Of course the fall in support for Labour has a bigger impact given they are starting from a smaller base.
Labour campaigned that FG couldn't be trusted on their own in government.

FG would be associated with people more wealthy than Labour voters and it is here that Labour let down their voters.
Labour voters I suspect didn't want soundbites and were more concerned about jobs, making enough money rather than more liberal social issues.

Enda would be in trouble for FGs terrible elections but I think many in FG would not want to go against him after what happened the last time.

titan18

Wicklowrider wrote: »

See, that is the kind of condescending self important comment that got FG and Lab kicked in the balls. As long as they keep treating people as being simple the longer it will be before they get thsoe votes..

The people voted for Sinn Fein. Clearly FG and Labour didn't treat them simple enough

ToddyDoody

What I see, as I sit on my a*se, is a left (chicken) wing party with no chicken... or a fine Gael lap dog somewhat.

So maybe the hard left can fight better for services and oppose the various cuts. Enter Sinn Fein.

It seems the country would prefer to sacrifice political stability to reduce the austerity, as I don't think Sinn Fein will be easy to work with on local government, given the budget constraints.

I don't see it working, I believe Sinn Fein has a history of councillors deflecting. Then again, let's see how they do, they are fairly untried.

darkpagandeath

Richard Hillman wrote: »

i am fully aware of that. That is why I said "Career Unemployed", as in the lifers. I have spent many a time in a dole queue, you can spot them straight off.

Yes yes you can and when you saved what 50 million putting a stop to that were will you save more in the welfare budget ? Lots of people that were on the dole during the boom are not on it now it moves and changes there is no such thing as 100% employment. Pensions are the biggest part of the welfare budget. But hey I’m guessing getting a few lifers off the dole makes people feel better?

The One Who Knocks

Muise... wrote: »

This is why the Greens got decimated last time, yet FF are on the upward swing.

Oh I don't care for politics. I realised the fact that my one single vote is highly unlikely to be a deciding factor in the grand scheme of things.

Along with that, I think there are very few who have educated themselves enough on the subject in order to make informed decisions.

If I did vote, I would feel somewhat responsible for the wrongdoings of my party in government should they be elected. I prefer not to vote and not to complain. The way I see it, the country's likely to be in similar state no matter who's in government.

To really make a difference, one would have to either persuade several others to vote for a party or else run for local government themselves.

So while your vote may not matter, the influence you have on others does.
Even this post is important. If 100 people read this and decide not to vote next time, then it's a problem and could really be a deciding factor in an election.

The people who tell you to vote, who say your vote matters, they're the ones with the real vote.

Custardpi

Richard Hillman wrote: »

i am fully aware of that. That is why I said "Career Unemployed", as in the lifers. I have spent many a time in a dole queue, you can spot them straight off.

Fair enough, but even so I'm not sure simply cutting welfare for them is going to do any good, however much initial satisfaction it might give you. Do you really think that cutting Anto & Johnsers dole or Jacinta's "mickey money" is going to instantly make them buck up & become tech entrepreneurs? Action is certainly needed for those people but cutting welfare is an extremely blunt instrument, which may end up doing more harm than good.

breadmonster

Any person in a position of power who takes money away from disabled kids doesn't deserve to be in power.

ryan101

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Purple want governments to give them what they want, not what they need.

The trouble with democracy is people.

Your right, the people need lies and spin instead, and the ordinary people need austerity instead of the wealthy and the connected.

NZ_2014

Feckin JobBridge Labour are responsible for - replacing what would have been properly paid jobs with free labour for businesses.

Vote Labour for free labour for business`s

Pang

Ruairi Quinn was the reason for me giving absolutely nothing to any Labour candidate. He has tried desperately to destroy education in this country and make a name for himself.

tayto lover

Pang wrote: »

Ruairi Quinn was the reason for me giving absolutely nothing to any Labour candidate. He has tried desperately to destroy education in this country and make a name for himself.

Not to mention the signed declaration he agreed with the students about college fees.

ryan101

NZ_2014 wrote: »

Feckin JobBridge Labour are responsible for - replacing what would have been properly paid jobs with free labour for businesses.

Vote Labour for free labour for business`s

Job bridge will keep a generation of workers in permanent poverty, while making the rich even richer.

ryan101

ryan101 wrote: »

Job bridge will keep a generation of workers in permanent poverty, while making the rich even richer.

Job bridge is ****e, yes. But a 'generation' is pure exaggeration , Job Bridge is not a large scheme in the context of the country as a whole.

ryan101

AdamD wrote: »

Job bridge is ****e, yes. But a 'generation' is pure exaggeration , Job Bridge is not a large scheme in the context of the country as a whole.

It's replacing all lower level jobs. Many jobs don't need extensive training.
So, it's very simple, you just keep employing free interns on 9 month contracts.