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PDs will look to influence New Programme for Government
Read more about: Coalition, Comment, Democracy, Ireland, Irish Politics, Progressive Democrats 
The PD’s long goodbye is almost, nearly, complete, The Irish Times reports. They had what will likely be their last meeting yesterday. While the story itself is of little interest – we all knew it was on the way – the following section made me raise an eyebrow…
Mr Grealish also expressed confidence that he, Ms Harney and Ms O’Malley could forge a loose alliance that would act together when negotiating the programme for government and supporting the Fianna Fáil-led Coalition.
“I am hopeful the three of us can sit down and decide the best course of action. We have not had any discussions yet,” he said.
Ms Harney said she hoped that such an arrangement could be made.
She added: “The one thing the country needs above everything else is stability in government so that we can take very tough decisions. The decisions we will take in September and October will be much tougher than anything that has been seen in Ireland before.”
Is it right that the PDs will look to influence the renegotiation on the programme for government considering they were largely rejected not exactly endorsed by the electorate on the last occasion and will not be around to govern for the next one?
Cutting an expected comment off at the pass: Yes, the Greens are a small party and it could be argued that they will have a disproportionate influence on the program for government (on a TD to TD ratio) but at least they will be around after it is implemented, the PDs won’t. It’s therefore three individuals, one of whom wasn’t elected, looking to influence the direction of a Government they won’t be part of (collectively).
Cutting second expected comment off at the pass: The PDs, as a party, will look to influence the program for government in a specific ideological direction – which is different to what independent TDs do.
Or is it? Comments below.
Wow, fair dues for spotting that. I think it’s highly problematic, let’s get this right, they between them decided that they didn’t think they could operate or continue as a party but now want to have party-like influence.
I would have to note that this notion that the PDs were rejected by the electorate in 2007 is somewhat overplayed. They got less votes than before for sure but that in itself doesn’t mean a rejection. They always got a small % of the vote. They were transfer unfriendly too. I think it is more accurate to say that their positions were not endorsed by the electorate rather than that they were rejected in 2007 but not in 2002 or before that. If the change is that instead of 96% not voting from you that 97.3 didn’t vote for you I’m not sure you were rejected in only the latter case. I know it sounds picky but with PR-STV we need to be careful not to adopt UK style language about voting outcomes that don’t occur in their system. You vote for something not necessarily against something else.
As for the meat of the post I think it’s bizarre that they would wield a policy influence. Fact is Mary Harney is acting as the government’s willing mudguard in health as no one from FF is interested in the position and the other TD should think himself lucky that he would get even close to what Lowry or Healy Rae get. As for Fiona, well it gives her a job at a time when she might not otherwise have one.
Aye, that’s a very fair point regards the language I used Dan, will edit. The ol’ blogging, especially on posts like this one, can be a bit rushed, can be written without re-reading or analysing.
Regards the meat of the post – good to know I am not alone. I’d be interested to read a counter-point, I’m sure there is someone out there that would take the opposing view…
Mark, it wasn’t you using necessarily that I was responding to. It is that everyone in the commentariat (are we members of that even if we’re not on Vincent Browne) says now that the PDs were rejected in 2007 while overlooking the fact that they weren’t endorsed in 2002 either. And I thought I’d mention it on this occasion since I can without attracting a hoard of PDs exiles or WindyMedia folks to gawk and rehash their talking points about collocation or whatever.