Campaign Gist: Early Warnings
The election has been called in Ireland and this is the first of the Campaign Gists.
For newer subscribers, our Campaign Gists are shorter, and a bit sharper than usual. Also, they happen more often. We're two days in and already we're seeing some of the shape of things to come.
Fine Gael release traditional voter repellant campaign
Fine Gael has historically had a quite straightforward relationship with election campaigns. The campaigns begin, the public is exposed to the Fine Gael messages and policies and then their support slides every day until the voting day.
So, to start them off on the good foot this time, the new leadership came out of the gates talking about the subject that makes voter's hearts swell and taps their dreams of a better tomorrow- VAT.
Better still, their proposal was to raise the base rate of VAT from 9% to 11%. Gav Reilly explained the result: "Abolishing the 9% rate would also mean marginal increases in the cost of leisure services like gym memberships, swimming pool visits, and even the likes of bouncing castles and indoor playgrounds."
It is good to see that the old Fine Gael Touch remains, as they reintroduced themselves to the electorate by offering to increase the price of children's birthday parties. The following day, they had to explain that when they invited Michael O'Leary to a campaign launch, they didn't know he was going to insult voters' children's teachers.
I promise we will get to return to this theme more than once before voting.
Sinn Féin propose extradition without legal representation
“I think we should be looking at deportation more rather than free legal aid and prison, which some actually find quite comfortable”
I see. Thank you for illuminating your views, SF Integration Spokesperson. Deportation without legal representation. Got it.
The next day Mary Lou McDonald clarified where she stood on this idea:
“What Claire said is just a matter of plain common sense.”
Some old pablum
Fianna Fáil, Labour and the Social Democrats all launched policies on how they would make cities safer and regenerate them. Contrary to all sense, journalists then spend time trying to get people to care.
In the end, policies unveiled during an election campaign are hardly worth paying any attention to at all. After all, Fianna Fáil has been in government for five years and with government for a decade. If they had a bright idea to make cities lovely and livable, why wouldn't them have mentioned it before now?
For opposition parties, the point of an election campaign is to remind people that they exist and that you could have their flavour of impulses instead of the current flavour. Launching plans during an election is an invitation to voters who might be tired of Coke to try some Pepsi.
Changing parties in government makes a big difference to how a country is governed. Changing particular policy papers, less so.
Winning the Day: Michael O'Leary, who was mentioned all day.
Losing the Day: Everyone wearing a big Fine Gael jacket standing next to Michael O'Leary.
