‘Ireland not ready for one party in power’ warns Joan Burton
The Labour leader echoed similar claims made by her direct predecessor Eamon Gilmore, days before the 2011 election, by insisting voters would be making a mistake if they failed to bring her party back into power alongside their coalition partner.
A new MRBI opinion poll has found 30% (up 2%) of decided voters support Fine Gael and just 7% (down 1%) back Labour, with Sinn Féin on 21% (up 2%), Fianna Fáil on 19% (down 1%), and Independents/others on 23% (down 2%).
The positions strongly suggest Fine Gael may be on course to form a single-party government — and crucially, that Labour may no longer be needed.
However, speaking at the launch of a pilot credit union scheme in Finglas, Dublin, Ms Burton insisted her party is still needed in government and warned the country is “not ready” to put one party in power by itself.
“There’s been coalition governments now for the last 30 years and I’m not sure if people in Ireland particularly want a single-party government, but that’s for the electorate to decide.
“Labour has a very good story to tell. We went into Government with our eyes wide open, with the objective of turning around the country, getting people back to work, the destruction of our banking system, and financial system that we inherited,” Ms Burton said.
Asked what would be wrong with allowing a single-party Fine Gael government, the Labour leader, who noted there may be “a lag factor” in the current polls that does not take account of her party’s policies in power, said: “A single-party government is focussed in a particular way. Labour is a social democrat party, it’s a centre left party. We have brought to government both a huge expertise and experience in relation to resolving the crisis, but we’ve done that in a way which has sought to protect people in low and middle incomes. That’s a critical thing. Not every party would bring that to the table.”
While Ms Burton’s comments are likely to lead some voters to re-assess what a Labour support exodus may mean, they will be poorly received by Fine Gael which recently entered a vote-pact with their coalition partner.
The remarks also strongly echo those made by then Labour leader Mr Gilmore, who said in his final press conference before the 2011 general election “if you don’t want a single-party government, vote Labour”.
Despite the Tánaiste’s comments, others in Labour conceded Fine Gael’s support means they are on course for an overall majority. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, one Labour minister said: “At 30% this far out, they have to be in the hunt for an overall majority. We can only hope things improve for us.”
