The accelerating fall in Sinn Féin support

So apart from the cohort feasting on the carcass of supposed Mary Lou’s demise, what next for Sinn Fein? Don’t think I’ve ever witnessed such a collapse in support. Was it the 300k gaffs or fencing sitting on immigration? Have to say I feel sorry for her.

Why make such a ridiculous post? We’ve seen plenty of leadership competitions in Fine Gael? Just look at 2017 when Varadker and Coveney were the front runners. Same with all the major parties, except Sinn Fein - maybe they just agree more on everything, all the time? 😀

Why do you feel sorry for her?

To what extent has SF's fall in popularity got to do with the fact that Leo Varadkar is no longer taoiseach and leader of FG?

I'd say it's a significant factor.

I've no doubt that had MLMcD vociferously opposed rampant immigration and wokeism that SFs support would have remained in the 30s…….But she didn't. Her problem then became that FF/FG/GP?Lab/PBP all support these policies and there really wasn't a requirement for another part to join the bandwagon.

no i don’t think he means that… just leo was totally unlikable

So those voters moved their vote to SF 'cos they didn't like Leo? As you'd say, that's quite a jump…

The "far right" or "anti immigration" candidates did very poorly. Despite predictions, they will be less than 5% of the vote.

I think SF listened far too much to the noise of the far right without understanding that they were a very small group of uneducated and mostly social welfare dependent types and that the cohort of people, whilst concerned about the rise in immigration, were not anti immigration and simply wanted to see some form of control on the issue.

The fact that the economy is going gangbusters certainly helps the government parties.

Any chance of anyone challenging MLMD?

132,000 carers were given a €1850 payment at a cost of €275m to the citizens of Ireland on Thursday - the day before the election. FF/FG have given welfare dependents (more likely to support SF) over double an increase as to what they gave their own supporters in the public service for 2024 with Christmas bonuses extending to include January bonuses. Dumping loads of immigrants into SF supporting areas and watching MLMcD support it all was always to end badly for SF.

Also those most likely to vote SF on housing are emigrating (30,000+ in 2023….similar figures to the 1980s).

I expect similar to happen in early 2025. FF/FG will use the state's finances as their own personal bank account to shore money into people's pockets as public services go neglected.

The Irish phyche was triggered by a brainfart by Charlie Flanagan, as an earlier poster pointed out. A big number of voters coming your way is always a soft vote, remember Lb in the 90s, and will just as easily slip away. Once they're gone, they're gone. Very delighted that the hard right didn't make progress.

Labour lost support after vowing not put FF into government after the 1992 election and then breaking that promise straight after the election. They had five years in government for people to see who they are.

The vast majority of people in FG didn't even vote for Leo Varadkar in the 2017 leadership election. He only became taoiseach because their election process is rigged in favour of the parliamentary party with a TD/Senator effectively having a vote worth 300+ times more than ordinary members.

OMOV is a characteristic so defining of democracy that it doesn't really require much explaining. If a party chooses to rig a process in favour of certain members of that party then it's processes are not truly democratic.

As a consequence FG is not a democratic party but an oligarchic party.