Three guides get the Christmas vote for all political party animals

POLITICAL anoraks are spoilt for choice this Christmas with three political guides on sale to take them through the hectic events of the past year.

The old reliable Nealon’s Guide to Dáil & Seanad is joined by two others, the Tallyman’s Guide and Elections 2002. The great strength of Nealon’s Guide is the brevity and clarity of the presentation of biographical and political career details of the 166 TDs and 60 Senators which is presented in a very accessible format.

The latest edition, which carries full details of the election counts last May includes the use of colour for election tables.

Barrister, former Fianna Fáil official and columnist with the Irish Examiner, Noel Whelan, this year offers an interesting alternative.

The Tallyman’s Guide to Politics 2003 is co-written by Noel Whelan and another former FF backroom man, John Mullen. It offers an interesting range of extra update information, including details of the EU Nice Treaty referendum and the Labour Party leadership and the pair hope to make it an annual publication.

The third book by pollster and radio pundit Sean Donnelly is called simply Election 2002. Again, it contains full count details of the general election and by-elections as well as biographical details and contact phone numbers and addresses for all the politicians.

The books remind us that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern set many records in last May’s election and was some 600 votes short of achieving an overall majority. Fianna Fáil very narrowly missed extra seats in Kildare North, Kerry South and Galway West.

FF also increased its overall vote share and returned with the same Government Coalition which resigned in April after almost the full five-year-term in office. It was the first time since 1969 that an outgoing Government had been led back into office.

The books also look at the remarkable reversal for Fine Gael which experienced its worst performance since 1948. Labour did a good deal better yet still failed to increase its vote share or its number of Dáil seats.

There were gains for the Green Party and Sinn Féin and the whole fragmentation of the anti-FF vote also saw the election of 13 independents. The Progressive Democrats came out best of all with a lower vote share doubling their number of TDs to eight.