According to the Sunday Mail the 100 strong PD general council meeting early in January will mark the final winding up of the PD's. It quotes members as saying the meeting will be concerned with the wrapping up of the organisation rather than the process of selecting a new leader. The article also states that Cllrs have been privately told to 'discuss their future with other political groupings'.
If true, another casualty of the Tribunal, or particularly of their own moral cowardice...
Though it saddens me to say it, I predicted this right here on the day of McDowell's coronation. McDowell never put the party first and was a disasterous choice as leader, however some share of the blame should go to Liz O'Donnell, for not providing an alternative liberal alternative.Originally Posted by toxic avenger
It will be interesting to see how the councillers fall between FF and FG. In places like Limerick and Cork, there is still a residue of dislike between FF and the PDs and perhaps FG might be an attractive alternative. Hower anyone with serious national political aspirations would obviously shun a party that cannot get a mandate from the people, and who are highly unlikely to ever be in government with their current leader.
The Mahon Tribunal found Olivia Mitchell to have received an inappropriate payment from Frank Dunlop at the time of the 1992 Election. F.G. Gael has taken no action against her.
There is a small report in the Sunday Times today about FF/FG touching up PD councillors which is not news but what I thought was noteworthy was that they had only contacted 7 out of 19 which would suggest that both FF/FG think the others are not worth the bother as they will be taken out in 2009 whether by those two parties or others.
Dan Sullivan. I was back but we still couldn't all have a vote.
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The Sunday Mail should really check their sources. Both of those claims are completely untrue.
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- a blog about Irish and international politics, economics and generally whatever rambling thoughts happen to be going through my head at the time.
Or it could be that these are people of principle who wouldn't compromise by joining two parties that have been discredited in different ways.
The Mahon Tribunal found Olivia Mitchell to have received an inappropriate payment from Frank Dunlop at the time of the 1992 Election. F.G. Gael has taken no action against her.
[quote=Keith-M]Though it saddens me to say it, I predicted this right here on the day of McDowell's coronation. McDowell never put the party first and was a disasterous choice as leader, however some share of the blame should go to Liz O'Donnell, for not providing an alternative liberal alternative.[/quote:wfhw192t]
I have to agree with that sentiment Keith. Whether it was Liz's fault or that of the party as a whole is something I am unsure of though. A liberal alternative should have been mooted by members because after all, that is what many Irish voters saw the PD's as and hence why they voted for them pre-McDowell. The PD's were meant to be a liberal party and that side of the party was not allowed shine for the last number of years.
I do think McDowell was a principled politician who worked hard, was an excellent parliamentarian and was someone who wanted to make a difference but, as you rightly said, he was a 'disasterous' choice for leader and a more liberal, progressive leader would have been more suitable.
If what the Mail wrote is true then I think it is a sad day for Irish politics. People can say what they want about the PD's but they have achieved more in their relatively short life time than FG or Labour have in the corresponding period. The party, should it wind up operations, will be a loss IMHO.
Economic Left/Right: -2.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.88
Some people see things as they are and ask why? I dream things that never were and ask why not?
G.B Shaw
So you admit that the PDs have been happy to serve in government on 3 occasions with a discredited party?Or it could be that these are people of principle who wouldn't compromise by joining two parties that have been discredited in different ways.
Dan Sullivan. I was back but we still couldn't all have a vote.
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The Mahon Tribunal found Olivia Mitchell to have received an inappropriate payment from Frank Dunlop at the time of the 1992 Election. F.G. Gael has taken no action against her.
The death of the PDs has been inevitable since the election result. At the time senior PDs were saying that they needed to let the severity of the defeat sink in to the grassroots because many of the grassroots didn't grasp that it was impossible to survive.
Their death was on the cards when they went into government into 2002. They weren't needed and forgot that their main raison d'etre had been to uphold standards. By failing to stand up to FF they undermined their main appeal. Harney was in retrospect a disastrous choice for leader. If they had picked Cox they would have survived longterm. McDowell in the leadership was a colossal mistake. There is a basic rule in politics: hard men don't click with the electorate. FG learnt that with Noonan. Labour learnt it with Rabbitte. FF will learn it with Cowen. Political rotweillers are useful, often vital, but not in the leadership. McDowell's lack of judgment was known and the PDs should have had enough experience of him to realise that he had no political judgment whatsoever.
Longterm the PDs demise will be of major benefit to FG because it was the PDs who took a large chunk of their vote. Their poll ratings, in the 30s, is now back at traditional FG levels pre- the PDs, putting them in the range of support bases to win power in a two-party alliance.
Politically PD councillors will be loathe to join FF because there is a widespread expectation, inside and outside that party, that they will face a drubbing in the next locals. FG's current support levels mean that new seats in the locals and in the general election are likely, so PD councillors hoping to have a longterm political career are much more likely to join a party likely to win seats than a party likely to lose seats. It is elementary self-interest.
Overall, I will be sorry to see the end of the PDs. I disagreed with much of their policies but I respected the party and its contribution to national politics. It is sad that a party with so much potential ultimately was sunk by the kamakase leadership of McDowell.
[color=#FF0000](Guys, when I type in capitals it isn't shouting. I have technical problems which makes using italics difficult. Please don't take offence if you see capitals used!) [/color]
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