Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes urges grand coalition with Fine Fail

Loafing Oaf

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

They are playing a long game, aiming to be the larger party in coalition with FF and ultimately lead a broad left-wing coalition not involving FF or FG.

This broad left wing coalition thing they speak of, it aint going to happen and they know it.

After all the hardship of the past few years FF and FG still hold over half the dail seats combined. Their isnt a large enough left wing vote to put it simply.

Plus the left wing parties will not work together, they hate each other.


Most importantly, waiting around to go into government for years just to improve the size of your party is doing nothing for the people who vote for you and you claim to care about.

Loafing Oaf

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

This broad left wing coalition thing they speak of, it aint going to happen and they know it.

After all the hardship of the past few years FF and FG still hold over half the dail seats combined. Their isnt a large enough left wing vote to put it simply.
.

Their assumption seems to be that if FF and FG can be forced into coalition together, the hoped-for realignment of Irish politics will finally happen. The thinking is that 'naturally' left-leaning types who have historically voted for FG or (particularly) FF will finally come to see that the two parties are much of a muchness and in the following election will gravitate en masse to SF and other left parties.

If the 'United Left Alliance' still isn't on after that then the fallback is they go into coalition with FF as the larger party.

Hermy

Surely if FF and FG amalgamate they remove any opposition and can do what they like?

Loafing Oaf

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

I think the hand-rubbing would come if FF announced before the election that they were open to a coalition with SF, FG could base their entire campaign on scaremongering.

And they're off:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ff-voters-are-alarmed-by-talk-of-sf-deal-36074757.html

I hadn't expected FG to strike up this tune this far out from the election, but I suppose wheeling a never-heard-of-him junior minister to do it means it won't feel like the entire part has been singing nothing else for a year by the time the election rolls around.

When I saw the headline I thought for a moment it was an FFer hitting back at his soft on SF colleagues; it's good of Deputy O'Donovan to show such concern for the "ordinary, decent Fianna Fáil voters.":P

FrancieBrady

Stalking horse...trying to see how much controversy it causes, if it gets as far as the Joe Duffy show then there wont be a FG-SF coalition for a while.

Loafing Oaf

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/leo-varadkar-rules-out-coalition-with-ff-after-2018-election-804494.html

So Leo rejects Brian's big idea...or does he?

Mr Varadkar has said such a scenario is “not preferable” and should be avoided.

“While others in the party like Brian Hayes have publicly been pushing the grand coalition option, Leo is definitely not a supporter of this,” one senior minister said. “He has made it known such a deal would be a nightmare.

Looks like the Examiner subeditor (if papers still have them:P) is the one doing the 'ruling out'...

Loafing Oaf

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/martin-rules-out-coalition-with-sinn-f%C3%A9in-or-fine-gael-1.3255588

Fianna Fáil will not enter a coalition Government with Sinn Féin or Fine Gael, party leader Micheál Martin has said...
Later on Friday, the party will debate a motion ruling out a coalition government with Sinn Féin. Mr Martin said he would be supporting it and would be ruling out a confidence-and-supply deal with the party too.

Assuming he stands by all that, MM has certainly painted himself into a very tight corner if FF is again second-largest party behind FG. Only option for government formation I can see in that case is a reprise of the current unsatisfactory arrangement...