Worse off than we were last year

THE year in politics ended on a sad note with the tragic death of junior Agriculture Minister Shane McEntee. I did not know Mr McEntee but those who did, assure me he was a committed and principled person. He was said to be “firm and fearless”. He was “an honest politician who cared too much”, one of his colleagues said about him.

 

We take it for granted that our politicians are thick-skinned and that they can take the rough with the smooth. We presume TDs say one thing but do another, that they are the greatest hypocrits on earth.

Obviously, Shane McEntee was not one of those. Now I want to let you into a little secret: the vast majority of politicians are decent people. They set out to change the world but gradually discover they haven’t got power to do much. So many of them become cynical, make outlandish promises during election campaigns and when they have to ditch those promises after the election, they adopt an attitude of attack being the best method of defence. They turn on those who criticise them for breaking those promises.

According to all those who knew him, Shane McEntee was not such a politician. He was deeply troubled by his inability to fulfill pledges made by his party when in opposition. He was not able, like others, to dismiss those pledges as “something one does during election time”.

We need politicians like Shane McEntee.

The year gone by was like all others, a year of mixed fortunes for the various parties and individuals in the Dáil. Despite two very harsh budgets and various blunders by some ministers, Fine Gael is still the most popular party in the Dáil. Or should I say, the least unpopular party in the Dáil, as none of the parties or the politicians are overwhelmed with popularity.

For most of the year, Fine Gael lost little of the record support registered by the party in the February 2011 General Election when it received 36% of the first-preference votes.  However, towards the end of the year, support had dropped to 28% and that poll was taken prior to what was the toughest budget we ever had. The next poll will be of major interest – does the Fine Gael decline in support continue or will it be above a respectable 30% again?

Enda Kenny does his handlers’ best efforts to project him as a tough man in Europe, able to take on whatever they might throw at him. But nobody is fooled. Throughout the year, he danced to the tune played by Angela Merkel and the bankers, while the plain people paid the piper. It is doubtful if they are going to be able to continue doing that.

For the Labour Party, it was one of the worst years ever. The party has now lost five TDs because of differences with the leadership, which would, of course, deny it was one of the worst years. (“We are still in Government”, and that’s all that matters as far as they are concerned.)

The main problem with Labour is that the party promised, before the election, it would take a tough line with the bankers while protecting the most vulnerable. However, in actual fact, the tough line has been taken with the vulnerable while protecting bankers’ fat pay, bonuses and pensions. No wonder the people are angry with Labour and are waiting in the long grass for the next election.

The problem with Fianna Fáil is that Micheál Martin feels he cannot really attack a Government that is implementing policies drawn up by Fianna Fáil. At the same time, if Fianna Fáil has any hope of forming a government again, it must take the lead in an all-out assault on the Fine Gael/Labour coalition.

Up until recent months, Fianna Fáil was acting as if it was suffering severe concussion caused by the trouncing received by the party at the general election nearly two years ago.  However, the gloves are off now and as a result, Fianna Fáil support has climbed in the opinion polls. Time will tell if that trend continues in the new year.

It was also a good year for Sinn Féin. Support in the opinion polls increased throughout the year but as Fianna Fáil support climbed, Sinn Féin support declined somewhat towards the end of the year. That decline may or may not be significant but the party must try and hold on to the votes it won from Fianna Fáil at the last election, while also maintaining the votes of former Labour working-class support. Sinn Féin’s advantage is that it was never in government in this part of the country so cannot be blamed for the economic mess we are in.

Sinn Féin is, however, vulnerable to claims that it follows one fiscal strategy in government in the North while pursuing a different strategy in opposition in the South.

Despite a good Dáil performance by TDs like Mary Lou McDonald, Pearse Doherty and, yes, even Gerry Adams himself, the party gets a bad press. And when it pursues Government leaders like Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore on budgetary or other coalition policies, those leaders turn the screw on Sinn Féin, hiding behind IRA atrocities in the North during the troubles.

Sinn Féin: “Your economic policies are atrocious”.

Government: The IRA’s campaign in the North was atrocious”.

Perhaps Sinn Féin might be better off with a leader from the South with no IRA connections.

The final verdict on the year in politics is that we are far worse off today than we were a year ago.  That is an indisputable fact. All indications are that we are going to be much worse off this time next year.

Happy New Year.