// October 24th, 2010 // 7 Comments » // election 2010
Today’s poll in the Sunday Business post from REDC shows FF at 18% with FG at 31%, Lab at 27%,Sf at 9%, Greens at 4% with Independents 10%.
Such a result if replicated in a general election would lead to a result along the lines of that outlined here though it could be worse or better at the margins. That projection suggests
FG 61
LP 56
FF 27
SF 7
GP 3
OTH 11
The strong expectation from the potential election results based on this poll is that FG and Lab would form a coalition government after the election but there is another possibility. It is a possibility that I do not expect FG to really entertain with any seriousness or for FF to embrace but it would make the most sense from Machiavellian perspective and would lead to the development of the left right divide so beloved of the Irish commentariat. It won’t happen but here’s how it could.
FG should think about smothering FF by opting to include FF TDs in a coalition government and by not doing a deal with Labour. FG should look at what post the election result the deal with Labour has to offer and then simply turn around to FF and ask to if they would match or better it. There would have to be provisos.
Included in the provisos would be that none of the members of the current government or past FF lead cabinets would serve in cabinet, that FF ministers would be limited to only 4 ministries and none of those financial, education, defense and tourism come to mind. Doing this would serve to deny FF the open ground of opposition that would allow them to rebuild the organisation and revive the brand. This would be to enable the managed decline of FF as an organisation. FG could even suggest that the reason for doing this is that FF do not deserve to be able to simply walk away from the damage they have inflicted on the Irish economy and that they must be forced to serve more time in government shouldering the burden of cleaning up the mess they created.
