Quantcast
Channel: European Blog » David Davin-Power
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3

‘It’s all left or right now’

0
0

Michael-Noonan-PA (For Blog)

A chance encounter on a Leinster House corridor last week should have alerted me; chatting to Michael Noonan about the water charge u-turn, the Finance Minister suggested that the steam was going out of the issue, but that the controversy had been very instructive -”it’s all left and right now”  he said,  or words to that effect.

By Political Correspondent David Davin-Power

His view was that the next election would see Sinn Féin try to position itself firmly at the head of the left and that the party was already hardening its stance on issues like wealth tax.

The veteran Minister’s judgement was that the water charge row had seen a re-alignment that  had delivered the coup de grace to any lingering  vestiges of Civil War politics.

From there it was just a small step to his  public assertion that the electorate would have to choose between Gerry Adams and Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach himself concurring a few hours later in the Isle of Man (although I had to coax him to deliver the line!)

Chatting to senior aides it was clear that the Finance Minister’s demarche earlier had been no accident; indeed I was left with the impression it might have been tried on a couple of focus groups before being launched.

These then are the battle lines for the great contest – vote for Enda or you’ll get Gerry.

What’s interesting about this analysis is that it sidelines Fianna Fáil, although in time we may be told vote Micheál and you’ll get Gerry.

It is also a risky strategy in that it concedes pole position to Sinn Féin; ministers hope though that by doing that they will force the electorate to focus on their policies as a potential senior Coalition party.

That in turn puts pressure on Gerry Adams – the theory goes – and indeed he would have to up his game if his This Week interview is any indication of his grasp of those policies.

For the Coalition, the fact of the matter is that nothing they have tried has halted the march of Sinn Féin in the polls: not reminders of their violent past; not highlighting the party’s involvement in scandals like the Máiría Cahilll affair; not focusing on Gerry Adams handling of the case of  his own brother.

The electorate doesn’t care it seems – just isn’t interested.

What might capture the attention of the voters, argue government strategists, are matters closer to their wallet.

If they can be convinced they will be worse off under Sinn Féin they will sit up and take notice.

For that to happen the Coalition has to risk putting SF on a pedestal by treating it as a potential party of power.

Some wondered if all this talk presaged an early election.

Not a bit of it – this is a government that wants to – has to – stay in office as long as possible.

Long enough for people to feel better off and begin to forget about the water charge debacle.

Long enough too for voters currently toying with switching to Sinn Féin to begin to feel uneasy about taking that step?

 


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images