Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma

Waiting for March 2025 takes all 3 coalition members wanting to wait till then.

It only needs any one of the three parties to decide to withdraw from coalition, and then it's early election time. Whilst it is technically Harris' decision when it happens, the reality is any one of the three coalition leaders could decide to force an early GE

O'Sullivan is doomed and Cuffe is more than likely gonna miss out. Their national vote share in LE i think has halved (i'm open to correction)

Peadar Tóibín pulling no punches 

Come on, he's in direct competition with them for votes. What would you expect him to say?

The lads in Serbia will have to be told to stop going on about government figs being elected on the 9th count after these elections.

It's not just a 'chaotic electorate' it is an electorate increasingly disillusioned with local government. All time low turnout.

I was told the same in confidence 

😁😁 not very trustworthy are you? 'Telling Katie is like shouting it from the highest mountain'.😁

Tell you one thing, if it's true, I'd love to see the control centre controlling the largest party in Ireland's multiple reps.

Did you just talk yourself into believing something there?😁

I never had any doubt that SF sit down and discuss their strategy/mutual interests with the north's party. So what?

All parties meet to do the same thing. You just don't like the people doing it in this instance.

It's practically impossible IMO to control everything a rep says. Think of the logistics of doing that.

Whilst FF & FG are all smiles this past weekend they really very much owe their great weekend to the drift of votes from SF to the Independents, and for this MLMcD is entirely responsible.

https://x.com/MichealLehane/status/1800196316070625709

The reality is that less people are voting for FF/FG than ever.

In the 2019 local elections 25.2% voted FG. In 2024 this is 23%.

In the 2019 local elections 26.9% voted FF. In 2024 this is 22.9%. In fact more people voted for FF in the locals in 2009 (just months afer crashing in the economy such that the IMF turned up) with that percentage being 25.4% under Brian Cowen.

I'm around these parts long enough to know that the 'advice' on new leaders of SF is just a way to criticise the incumbent.

In 2020 the electorate gave the biggest mandate to SF to go into government. SF's leader had made it clear she would talk to anyone about government formation.
FG and FF, having both indicated to the electorate empowering FF would be similar to letting Delaney back in power in the FAI/or would never coalesce with one another - coalesced.

Who disrespected the electorate again Mark?

Fair point but it’s also true that there is a whole spectrum of parties now which voters can gravitate to if a particular one reflects most of their views. That’s bound to gobble up some FG/FF support. It’s maybe a more serious issue for SF as the left parties and groupings are doing as better job of attracting disaffected left leaning voters, and the sane for the right.

Saying “We did bad because lots of our voters didn’t come out is bunkum. Why weren’t they brought out? I remember growing up my dad canvassed for one of the major parties. On election days he was usually kept going giving lifts to the polling station to people without transport who might not have otherwise voted.

For a party so apparently down with da youf, well versed in social media, getting the crowd out shouldn’t have been an issue. Thing is, if they’re committed supporters, they’d have turned out.

You are reading in 'sour grapes' where there are none so that you can write in praise of Leo.

Never succeeded in an election, had a bright moment in 2020 when he was at 35%, led his party back to GE performance levels, a performance that precipitated an internal inquiry to see what went wrong, tried to increase support, and failed and then gave up, passed it on to Simon who presided over yet another electoral decline for the party.

Mary Lou, led her party to it's highest ever electoral success, increased support to 37% in polls, that support declined suddenly and she presided over an increase in LE vote share, and may increase EU representation. She is fully aware and takes responsibility for not doing better in the latest elections.

If SF realised that was 4 years ago and moved on and delivered credible policies that had a sound financial foundation then they might have done better in the elections… Living in the past and thinking the votes were based on policy and not a protest vote isn’t going to get them elected….