Wind up conference

[FutureTaoiseach]

I do think that Irish politics still needs a centre-right voice on economic issues and crime. The problem is that the PDs were no longer credible as that voice, not least because of their presence in govt at a time of irresponsible growth in public-sector spending. They were credible in in the 2002 election on account of tax-reform in that govt, but since McCreevy, an important ally, was exiled to Brussels, FF was in mood to listen to reason on these matters, and the PDs were not willing to have the courage of their convictions by pulling out. I think after the subprime crisis and financial-market breakdown, it is a hard time to be an economic conservative/liberal, but I do actually believe that a case can be made that too much government, rather than too little, made the Irish economic downturn worse than it needed to be. State-owned monopolies, unchallenged by competition on a level playing-field, piled energy and other costs onto the private-sector, and this is a time when the economy needs tax-cuts, not increases, and when such cuts are being prevented by an excessively large public-sector. I would like to see FG or a new party fill this ideological vacuum, and to challenge the leftwing orthodoxy that erroneously seeks to lay all the blame for the recession on free-market thinking. We can also say that in the US, there wasn't enough regulation of the mortgage-market - but that does not mean the economic-liberal message is all wrong. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater - it was not in this country that the global credit-crunch began.

[Rocky]

I do think that Irish politics still needs a centre-right voice on economic issues and crime. The problem is that the PDs were no longer credible as that voice, not least because of their presence in govt at a time of irresponsible growth in public-sector spending. They were credible in in the 2002 election on account of tax-reform in that govt, but since McCreevy, an important ally, was exiled to Brussels, FF was in mood to listen to reason on these matters, and the PDs were not willing to have the courage of their convictions by pulling out. I think after the subprime crisis and financial-market breakdown, it is a hard time to be an economic conservative/liberal, but I do actually believe that a case can be made that too much government, rather than too little, made the Irish economic downturn worse than it needed to be. State-owned monopolies, unchallenged by competition on a level playing-field, piled energy and other costs onto the private-sector, and this is a time when the economy needs tax-cuts, not increases, and when such cuts are being prevented by an excessively large public-sector. I would like to see FG or a new party fill this ideological vacuum, and to challenge the leftwing orthodoxy that erroneously seeks to lay all the blame for the recession on free-market thinking. We can also say that in the US, there wasn't enough regulation of the mortgage-market - but that does not mean the economic-liberal message is all wrong. Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater - it was not in this country that the global credit-crunch began.

FG have been a centre right voice on economics and crime since 1922.

[Defeated Romanticist]

FG have been a centre right voice on economics and crime since 1922.

Except when they are in govt when the swing sharply to the left like good patsies.

[junketman]

Given that Ireland is a hugely pro-EU country and also that the PDs are pro-EU and were also, for the most part, pro-Lisbon I don't suspect you have an ice cube's chance in hell of such an idea taken on board.

I also imagine that the meeting will be members only.

Ireland used to be hugely pro-EU...now there is a very strong minority against the EU and all it stands for, and not just in the traditional heartlands of the PDs but among rural voters, FF voters, FG voters, Labour voters. I used to be pro EU but in the last 5 years, like a lot of people I have become Euro sceptic and I would be in favour of any party that actually asks if we are getting value for money from EU membersheip as opposed to the mindless footsoldiers in the larger parties who follow the lead of their mindless leaders eager to get their snout in the EU trough.

So yes there is a market for a political party that is Eurosceptic, but moderately eurosceptic. But it would need a lot of other policies as well.

[cropbeye]

So where does that leave the Harnesaurus? If she gets to be a minister as an Independent, why not Lowry or JHR?


OK, not JHR.

I'm starting a campagain to get Jackie

made Minister for Health.