Labour Kick Butt In Opinion Poll (merged)

GreenHell

Heard that on the news last night, now I'm no way a labour supporter but they should have achieved that years ago. Now I'm no way an FG supporter but are they quietly heading towards political dead.

bertiebowl

From the indo - copied n'pasted lest your not registered

LABOUR Party leader Pat Rabbitte has emerged as the country's most popular political leader in an opinion poll published today.

And his party has moved into second place, ahead of Fine Gael.

The poll was taken on Monday and Tuesday, immediately after Mr Rabbitte's successful first conference as party leader.

He has won an approval rating of 49pc, up five points with the electorate, putting him ahead of all other party leaders, including Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (41pc, down 2pc), and Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (48pc, up 4pc).

The poll, on the first anniversary of last year's General Election, provides a huge boost for the Labour Party, with its ratings now at 22pc, up six points since the last comparable poll in February.

All I can say is thank gawd.......hopefully in three years time we can get rid of this corrupt, greedy, inept shower of right wing wasters running the country........and this is coming from someone who traditionally wouldn't have been a Labour supporter.....

gandalf

Merged the two threads as they are about the same thing.

Yes I am glad to see labour moving into 2nd position maybe Irish politics will get a left vs right balance to it at long last. I think this is a terminal decline for FG and they should look at merging with Fianna Fail and get it over with.

Gandalf.

bug

I'm not a fan of Pat Rabitte and I've never voted labour but I must say watching the proceedings in the Dail, he is a powerful speaker and does make an impact more so than other party leaders when tackling bumbling bertie.

solice

oh woe is me. i am a very active member of yfg. i know that the party is going nowhere and at the moment people think that we stand for nothing, which i will admit we didnt under the terrible reign of micael noonan. but to see labour coming ahead is an awful prospect in my opinion.
much respect to pat rabbite, fantastic orator and really gets the crowd going, but ask yourself. is a left wing party what this country needs as its second party. i think not. i know fg have a hell of alot to do, we will get there. we will. dont write us off yet

growler

Gandalf:
"they should look at merging with Fianna Fail and get it over with"

think there might be one of two people who wouldn't exactly relish this idea, it would probably spell the end of FG if they even raised the subject for debate.

IMO , FG has relied on a traditional FG vote, that vote has been dissappearing , FG has been unimaginative in it's policies and ineffective / petty in opposition and deserves to die if they cannot offer a viable alternative to the irish electorate.

solice

we are working on the alternative, it will take time but we will get there. i would agree though, if we dont get our act togther soon we will become extinct.

as for joining ff, i would rather drown in my own vomit.

Sparks

but ask yourself. is a left wing party what this country needs as its second party. i think not.

I agree. We need one in majority government.
(Well, actually we need direct democracy, but since we wouldn't be able to get that without a bloody armed revolt...)

Cork

Originally posted by gandalf
I think this is a terminal decline for FG and they should look at merging with Fianna Fail and get it over with.

Gandalf.

FG were the coalition allys of the labour party. I think the obvious merger would be a FG/Labour one.

Openion polls are just a snap shoot on a particuler day. I would not read very much into this one. But there is a notable decliine in FG support.

There is 4 years before the next election. I don't think the government has much to worry about. They have 4 years to get things right. I think a rivised health stratergy is on the way.

Hard decisions will have to be made with regards health. Small country hospitals need to be shut down. We need regional centres of excellence.

Lets hope Bertie ignores these polls and makes some hard decisions.

I was involved with an openion poll which mirrored the actual result. But a subsequent poll which was done could have not been more wrong. They are far from an exact science.

I would not bet on them - but they are interesting enough to read.

sanvean

Originally posted by gandalf
I think this is a terminal decline for FG and they should look at merging with Fianna Fail and get it over with.

Hmm. Not too sure about this (although I'm sure it was at least to a certain degree, tongue-in-cheek). Personally (and I would appreciate any FG or FF supporters telling me why i'm wrong) I don't see much difference between FF and FG. But merging would just mean even further FF domination of our political system.

but ask yourself. is a left wing party what this country needs as its second party. i think not.

Better than having a clone as an 'opposition party'. Also, I don't think any of you right-wingers should really feel threatened by Labour. Just look at what (new)labour had to become in order to get elected in England...

Éomer of Rohan

I agree. We need one in majority government.
(Well, actually we need direct democracy, but since we wouldn't be able to get that without a bloody armed revolt...)

Hear hear!

Sparks

Perhaps I should say that that wasn't a call for armed revolt!!!
:ninja:

GreenHell

My 2c

I don't like Pat Rabbitte at all, I always get the impression whenever I see him, that his a bigger spinner than the current goverment.

FF and FG are basically the same but FF has better PR. I think Enda Kenndy would have to go and the party rebuild from the ground up for them to have any hope of a political future, I mean I really would find it hard to see the FF/PD goverment relected in 4 years and I don't see FG leading a coalition.

solice

I really would find it hard to see the FF/PD goverment relected in 4 years and I don't see FG leading a coalition.

i agree as far as FG not leading a coalition but i also think that FG will not even come close to being in power. lets just look at the greatest PR job this present govt have ever done. SSIA, they will all mature in 4 years and there will be more money in your pockets (i was U18 when they started so i dont have one). this fact will be rammed down our throats and we will not be let forget it.
never mind the failing health system, poor infarstructure, crime and alcohol abuse that is rife in this country.

Sparks

Okay, so:
Fianna Fail and the PDs cannot be trusted,
Labour is a bit dodgy,
Sinn Fein is just too scary to contemplate,
and Fine Gael is simply out of the running.

So who's left?

solice

who is left, i hate to break it to you. the dam independents. jackie healy rae,

GreenHell

Align with the Peoples Republic of Cork, Osma Bin Murphy will lead us!

But infairness like Irish politics is in some state at the moment you wouldn't blame anyone for not voting next time around, who the hell would you pick that would make a difference. Bah is a horrible mess.

Sparks

Jackie Healy Rae is about as independent as Biffo. He's fianna fail.

Cork

Look at the sorry alternative to FF/PD government.

FG+Labour+SF+Independents?

I think every business jornalist saw the economy slowing down. Yet, the opposition TDs think out electorate was mislead. Does our electorate not read the business pages?

Promises were made. Babies were kissed & Pies were flung.

The election is in 4 years. A lot of water will have gone down the swanney before then.

I think that a week is a long time in politics. I am not making any predictions for an election in 4 years.

3 months before the last election - Micheal Noonan was being introduced as the next Taoiseach.

solice

no, ill predict it now, FF and the PDS will cash in on the SSIA and walk back in

Victor

Originally posted by gandalf
I think this is a terminal decline for FG and they should look at merging with Fianna Fail and get it over with.

So Biffo can have an overall majority? No thank you.

Éomer of Rohan

Or God forbid that you actually vote Socialist?!

Sparks

Will the socialists even have enough people standing to form a party, let alone a government?

Cork

Over the last number of weeks atitudes regarding the use of Shannon Airport have Changed rather significantly (Irish Times Poll 17/5/03)

Before the next election - certain partys will fall & increase in their ratings. There are 4 whole years until the next election.

But I think FG are in decline. I think that Pat Rabbitt has moved to the centre.

"Not FF" is no reason for the existance of a political party. Opposition Partys need alternative policies. People are no longer impressed by compansation for taximen or eircom shareholders.

IF FF begin to make hard decisions regarding reform of our health system, Northern Ireland and public services - I think that Bertie may get the hat trick.

Lennoxschips

IF FF begin to make hard decisions

Ya, and if pigs fly...

Sparks

"Not FF" is no reason for the existance of a political party.

What was it that the PDs were saying before the election as a reason to elect them?

seamus

Originally posted by Cork
I think every business jornalist saw the economy slowing down. Yet, the opposition TDs think out electorate was mislead. Does our electorate not read the business pages?

Eh, no? That's the whole point. I'm pretty sure more tabloids than broadsheets are read by Joe Soap on any given day, and in them, business sections are sparse, if they exist at all.
I buy the Indo whenever I'm in work, and will only brush through the business section. I'm a student, and work part-time. Business is mostly uninteresting for me, unless I see eircom being shat on (:)) or some tech co. coming out with innovations.
That's why the TDs were eaten alive about the state of the economy. If the population did read the papers, they wouldn't have been elected with their lies. But the TDs played on the fact that the majority of the electorate don't give a monkeys about business, only what's coming into their pocket. And they were rightly burned for it.

Anyway, back OT, I like Pat Rabbitte. I think it's high time this country was pulled a little to the left, and away from the jobs-for-the-boys attitudes in Irish politics. Labour will probably secure my vote from the Greens at the next election, which hopefully will not be as far away as 4 years.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Sparks

Originally posted by Cork
I think every business jornalist saw the economy slowing down. Yet, the opposition TDs think out electorate was mislead. Does our electorate not read the business pages?

Actually, I seem to recall all parties (with the exception of some independents) merrily accepting FF figures regarding the economy and it's future and saying that they'd manage it better.
I also seem to recall FF flatly saying that the economist's warnings of a recession were simply untrue, that all was well.
That's what will crucify them, if anything will.

daveirl,
Yup

So what's the alternative?

Jake303

Originally posted by gandalf

Yes I am glad to see labour moving into 2nd position maybe Irish politics will get a left vs right balance to it at long last.
Gandalf.

Left, who labour?

God help us if the labour party are Irelands version of "left wing polotics"

vorbis

I'd probably vote FG normally. However, they are on the road to extinction. As for the next election. I can't see FF losing it. Half the people who whinge about education and health win't vote leaving the FF hacks to make up a bigger percentage of the voting electorate. Secretly I think FF just wants more and more political apathy.