Spotlight on Cowen after Labour surge

DISGRUNTLED Fianna Fáil backbenchers have held a meeting with an opinion polling company and asked whether the leadership was dragging down support for the rest of the party.

Deputies met with the Red C group, who carried out a poll for yesterday’s Sunday Business Post which showed Fianna Fáil is on course to lose up to 30 seats in the next election.

When the professional pollsters met concerned Fianna Fáil deputies last week, Mayo TD Beverly Flynn asked about the importance of the leadership in terms of impact on the party’s popularity.

The meeting marks a further undermining of Brian Cowen’s leadership under which the party has hit its lowest level of support at 23% – third behind Fine Gael on 33% and Labour on 24%.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the poll represents a “very, very substantial change in Irish politics” and “the emergence of a very genuine three-way contest”.

He said there is potential to “re-cast the political map in this country”.

Europe Minister Dick Roche told RTÉ’s The Week in Politics that backbenchers are willing to support decisions being made by the Taoiseach and “the resilience is there in the party”.

But Cork North Central TD Noel O’Flynn said the poll “reflects what is happening on the ground and the mood of the people of the country.”

But the results could have been worse, according to Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keeffe. “You have to look at the circumstances of this poll, taken in the aftermath of the Labour conference and a very good speech by Eamon Gilmore; taken the week that the controversy over the pensions issue, one would have thought that Fianna Fáil could have in fact lost more,” he said.

Fine Gael’s Charlie Flanagan said the biggest trend is the “resurgence” of his party which is 10 points clear of Labour.

Mr O’Keeffe predicted an “upswing” before the next election: “people will judge us on the courage and leadership we have shown as a government”.