The 2016 GE thread

[bennocelt]

Just seen 20/1 for a minority FF gov on first of Jan 2017, with PP...............just before i read your post Owlsfan!

[NeverFeltBetter]

It doesn't seem likely that FG will support FF's suspension of the water charges for five years idea - though it's the kind of kick the can move I'm sure the parties would love - so I don't see how a government can be agreed upon, unless Fianna Fail row back on the issue to such an extent that their electoral chances take a serious drubbing.

There's a debate to have on the legality of scrapping, suspending, altering the water charges, and I wonder if FF is starting to think they can't win it. They might prefer to go back to the polls and win as many seats as possible as an anti-water charge party before dealing with the legal reality.

[OwlsFan]

Are they not anti-water charge already?

[NeverFeltBetter]

They are for the moment. The EU might well have made their stance irrelevant already.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Looks like we might get a government out of this Dail after all. That purported water charge agreement is classic "Let's deal with it later" political maneuvering, that doesn't solve the issue at all, but it's enough of a climbdown from both parties that they can get past it. I'm sure some FG backbenchers/Labour and dozens of government TD's who lost their seats will be livid.

[BonnieShels]

Looks like we might get a government out of this Dail after all. That purported water charge agreement is classic "Let's deal with it later" political maneuvering, that doesn't solve the issue at all, but it's enough of a climbdown from both parties that they can get past it. I'm sure some FG backbenchers/Labour and dozens of government TD's who lost their seats will be livid.

Alan Kelly went for it in the chamber this afternoon.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I honestly don't see how FG backbenchers/party membership can be happy with the whole thing. Water charges was the hill they were told to die on for the election, now Kenny and the leadership have rolled over to get a minority government the old enemy can end any time it wants.

[OwlsFan]

I honestly don't see how FG backbenchers/party membership can be happy with the whole thing. Water charges was the hill they were told to die on for the election, now Kenny and the leadership have rolled over to get a minority government the old enemy can end any time it wants.

Were the water charges such a negative vote destroyer for Fine Gael? I wouldn't have thought so. I think they were just regarded by most (not the anti-water charge jihadists) as just one tax too much and some people said enough. By past Fine Gael standards, they didn't actually do too badly and about average since 1987 (ignoring the big increase in the last election due to Fianna Fail incompetence). What screwed them this time was the collapse of Labour who bore the brunt of the anti- austerity vote as they were the perceived defender of the lower paid/unemployed who pro rata got the worst of the austerity measures.

[nigel-harps1954]

So...we have a government then. It only took two and a half months.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Thomas Pringle said today that Fianna Fail basically control both sides of the house now, which is crazy.

Shane Ross says he's Minister for Transport. Can't wait to see him try and deal with the unions.

[BonnieShels]

Thomas Pringle said today that Fianna Fail basically control both sides of the house now, which is crazy.

Shane Ross says he's Minister for Transport. Can't wait to see him try and deal with the unions.

Oh dear God. So that's that for Public Transport.

[NeverFeltBetter]

From RTE:

Social Protection - Leo Varadkar
Finance - Michael Noonan
Public Expenditure and Reform - Paschal Donohoe
Jobs - Mary Mitchell O'Connor
Agriculture - Michael Creed
Justice - Frances Fitzgerald
Children - Katherine Zappone
Health - Simon Harris
Foreign Affairs - Charlie Flanagan
Education & Skills - Richard Bruton
Housing - Simon Coveney
Communications - Denis Naughten
Transport - Shane Ross
Regional Development, Rural Affairs and Arts and Culture - Heather Humphreys
Defence - The Taoiseach with Paul Kehoe as Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Defence
Finian McGrath is the Super Junior who will attend Cabinet and have special responsibility for disability.

Varadker will have been all over the place by the time he becomes FG leader/Taoiseach. I wonder if no-one else wants a shot at Finance. Not sure what Zappone will actually be able to do in that role. Defence portfolio further marginalised.

[nigel-harps1954]

Zappone might be a good shout in that role actually. Could be an interesting move, but she'll need the backing of the two parties to actually implement any decent changes in the area.

[dahamsta]

2017 posts moved here:

http://foot.ie/threads/227045-General-Election-2017