FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3

unfortunately, this is where we re at, the health system needs a vast investment program, along side a deep gutting to, do the gutting first, and you ll find us fcuked even more, and very quickly!

Yep saw that 🙄 that smirk might not be so evident shortly , so to speak 😏

Thomas Byrne (FF) getting a roasting on Katie Hannon now.

I am a little worried now that the government will not go full term. The budget and winter costs will make things very difficult. It's important they reap what they sowed.

It's delightful to watch 😏 he's all over the place .

Got to laugh (maybe cry) over the retro scheme farce. Refused to answer how many will be completed this year, went straight to the Fuel Allowance deflection, not only are government struggling to appoint companies to do retro fitting , I'd wager with costs spiralling few will be completed this year and those that are are being privately funded.

By the time they actually started retrofitting through grant Aid, The grant will cover a tiny percentage of cost , the way things are going.

#shambles

That's a low Blow 🤣

I said it way back - the retrofit plan was broken long before it was announced. The Climate Action plan has already failed. Incompetence.

I do hope the location was not at a certain Snack food park (no disrespect intended to its late founder)

The Local and Euro Elections are coming up and FF is currently the largest party at LE level. FF and FG might be able to afford the services of some good Social Media people if they had more money. The parties also need to run better PR operations now that the media landscape has changed. Running for political office is not cheap and FF and FG need to be able to subsidise those campaigns if they want to attract new candidates.

Some of the newer legislation against political donations has caused problems for some politicians. The surprising thing is that people still expected better of FF/FG.

Regards...jmcc

Not looking good for FF and FG unless they get into bed again after the next election.

And there were reports of discontent within FG earlier in the week. Going in with FG was a bit of a Faustian pact for FF and it needs to reassert its independent identity. Barry Cowen's motion did seem to understand that issue but the biggest problem for FF is that Martin is more of an FGer than an FFer and probably wants to maintain the coalition until at least the next FG leader takes over. The flashpoint could be the budget in October where FFers more concerned with their re-election prospects could, possibly, vote against it. It wouldn't be so much a stab in the back for FG as a complete evisceration but the political benefits for FF would far outweigh the temporary flak it would get from the Dublin media. By moving before SF has had time to select and promote candidates for the next GE, it would buy time for FF to survive as a Big Three party and it might, without Martin and his gang grovelling to FG at every opportunity, create an option for an SF/FF (or FF/SF) government.

The problem for FF at the moment is that it may really be two parties: a genuine FF and a wannabe FG element epitomised by Martin who see themselves as being more imporant than the party. It will be interesting to see if Cowen's think-in session becomes the basis for a leadership challenge. It may be possible for FF to change leaders and still have Martin as taoiseach until December. It would be ironic given that that's what Martin did to Cowen's brother, Brian Cowen, so that he could become leader.

FF really only has a narrow window of opportunity to regain its independence from FG before the momentum that has been building for SF pushes its support in the opinion polls over 40%. When that happens, SF is in majority territory and it would be approaching FF/FG's combied polling. SF has already exceeded FF/FG's combined polling in the RedC polls but those are effectively tracking polls due to their use of a panel rather than a random sample. (They may poll the same panel member multiple times within a year.) Cowen's move to have FF attempt to take ownership of the Border Poll is a smart one and one that could cost SF % points if it works. However, the removal of Martin of leader would be necessary for it to work.

Regards...jmcc

Great post. That's what I am afraid of too - FF pulling the plug early in order to separate themselves from FG in the minds of the voter. It's probably too late for that now anyway. The looming recession might also force the issue but they will get the blame for the state of our finances and services either way. FF will lose seats whether they go now or in 3 years. The question is which will be worse. FG have no options only usual spin.

I don't think Barry Cowen has the brains to launch a coup. He is a dim and bitter person.