Parties rule out ‘national unity’ government with FF

THE formation of the next Government was the subject of a war of words yesterday as the local election campaign continued to be dominated by national issues.

Both Fine Gael and Labour ruled out forming a “national unity” government with Fianna Fáil that would agree policies to get the country out of the recession. Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said his party would not enter “a second-rate compromise with the people who got the country into this hole”. Regime change was needed instead, he insisted.

Quizzed about the same issue, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore replied: “How many ways do people want to keep Fianna Fáil in government?” Mr Gilmore has already said that it’s not only time to “embrace new personnel” but a “change in direction” too. But responding last night, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern claimed Fine Gael and Labour would be incapable of forming a stable government.