FG would do business with SF: Frank Flannery

[kerrynorth]

Just as FG are on the cusp of a major electoral victory over FF they manage to shoot themselves in the foot. Frank Flannery, the FG electoral strateigist, has indicated in an interview with the Mail on Sunday that FG would do business with SF if the numbers stacked up that way after a general election.

The suggestion appears to be that Flannery may be only saying this in an attempt to attract SF transfers in Dublin Central for Paschal Donohue. However, if this is the case then they seem to have their their eye off the national ball. On both Newstalk and TodayFM this morning listeners have been phoning/texting in that they were going to FG next Friday but will now not be. I can just see Anne McCabe coming out with something during the week condeming FG for ever considering this and possibly party heavyweights like Michael Noonan similarly decrying it.

FG appear to be presently in damage limitation mode phoning the radio programmes stressing that Flannery was only expressing a personal view and that party policy has not changed. It just seems so unbelieveable that FG 5 days out from an election would go and commit such an act of electoral suicide. It was pointed out on one of the programmes that FG were protraying a vote for FF was a vote for SF in the last GE because that was thought to be the most likely coalition scenario for FF at the time. However, is it now the case that a vote for FG is a vote for SF?

It is equally amazing that FG would signal that a party in not too distant past were previously part an parcel of a terrorist organisation killing thousands and more recently a organisation implicated in murder, punishment beatings, armed robbery and other forms of extortion and drug running are now fit for consideration as a coalition partner. Yet Libertas who have never engaged in any such criminal activities are the one's that the political establishment, including FG, consider to be political pariahs! Could someone explain that one to me?

[topcat4]

Its about time an FG / SF alliance got some serious discussion by both parties.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Enda has distanced himself, saying personal-opinion was not party-policy, and that no change on govt with SF with respect to FG policy has been made since 2007.

[Mr.De-Regulation]

Ah sure all the terrorism was done for a bit of craic.

[MacCoise]

I can just see Anne McCabe coming out with something during the week condeming FG for ever considering this and possibly party heavyweights like Michael Noonan similarly decrying it.

True, we havent heard from the ONLY VICTIM of violence ever yet

[topcat4]

Enda has distanced himself, saying personal-opinion was not party-policy, and that no change on govt with SF with respect to FG policy has been made since 2007.

Its an old trick get an advisor to put an idea out there to gauge the reaction and see what happens, if need be the party leader can then distance himself from it. Jim Gibney actually performed this role for Gerry Adams all the way through the peace process.

[dotski_w_]

Enda has distanced himself, saying personal-opinion was not party-policy, and that no change on govt with SF with respect to FG policy has been made since 2007.

Agreed, but it will have some FG voters spluttering into their cornflakes - there's probably no party in the State whose voters are more anti-SF. It wll also make for any FG's main card "The only way to get rid of FF is to vote FG" sound hollow to many, who would prefer even FF to SF.

Re-assurances aside, it makes it more possible in people's heads, and so I'd have thought this would be worth 1-2% for LP and another 1% for FF/GP. Not a massive swing, but enough to spoil a few candidates hopes on Friday.

[flavirostris]

I think Flannery suggested this before during the 2007 General Election count.
He was in the RTE studios providing analysis and somebody asked him how Enda could put the numbers together and I remember him including SF and the Greens in his calculations.
I don't think this is all that much of a bombshell

[cyberianpan]

This is interesting as Frank Flannery has very tight control over FG, he deserves much of the credit for Enda Kenny's reputation as an efficient chairman / party organiser

To my mind he is closer to being leader of FG than Enda Kenny

Though the timing of this comment is very, very odd ... and I wonder has he overstepped the mark ?


cYp

[Cogadh]

It's only diet FF testing the waters, although it seems to be a strange time to do it.

However, if after a general election, the numbers add up that way, diet FF will go in to Gov with SF, just like FF will. Be under no illusions about that.