Prejudice, not rationality, will decide #Brexit outcome – and the Irish have reason to be scared
There is an old and somewhat cynical definition for a referendum: “A referendum is a process whereby you get an answer you didn’t expect to a question you didn’t ask”.
Bewildering, silly, inexcusable – the process of government formation since #GE16
It shows very little self-confidence for Fianna Fáil to refuse, on moral principle, to enter a partnership government in which they would be treated as equals with Fine Gael. But it does display a “cute hoor” mind-set that suggests that FF expects any new government to have to take hard decisions to govern properly for […]
No more political fudges on Seanad reform
Today the NUI have informed me that, of 103,000 ballot papers issued by registered post, only 15,000 completed ballots have been returned so far. A further 18,600 have been returned to the NUI as undeliverable, of which 600 have been re-posted to voters on request. This leaves around 70,000 votes which have yet to be […]
No more political fudges on Seanad Reform
The NUI register which has more than 103,000 named voters is very much out of date, incomplete and patchy. The use of Registered Post is causing huge difficulties too.
The narcissism of small differences
This has been a bad week for Ireland. Instead of earning the respect of the people, the leaders of the two large parties seem intent on courting their contempt. Their efforts to position themselves favourably in the public eye and to outflank each other are pitiful. All the talk of 1916 and of patriotism, vision […]
Our ‘New Politics’ has caused a lurch to the Left
The reality of the “New Politics” is slowly emerging. Let’s look at some important issues. The Irish Constitution divides the powers of government into three categories – legislative, executive and judicial. These categories are not completely water-tight; but what is termed “the executive power of the State” is required to be “exercised by or on […]