FG’s credit crunch pain as Merrion is out and HQ bikkies are in

IT IS much worse than we thought, the end must indeed be nigh: Fine Gael has gone into recession.

The merchant princes of Irish politics have long been known for the sheer lavishness of their press launches.

Fianna Fáil might run to a tray of curdling sandwiches (depending on whether they were in one of their little moods with the ungrateful media, or not); Labour might stretch to half a packet of custard creams, but the Blueshirt opulence knew no bounds.