Bertie rules out coalition with SF - and you’d better believe him

IF THERE was ever any doubt that Bertie Ahern is the shrewdest political analyst and strategist in the country, then he proved it again last weekend.

It was always inevitable that there would come a point at which he would have to rule out unequivocally the possibility of going into government with Sinn Féin after the next election. The only surprise is that he has done it so early in the electoral cycle.

Bertie Ahern will know by instinct (and he may also have access to supporting market research) that there is a large chunk of the electorate who are very anti-Sinn Féin and who particularly have a strong antipathy to Sinn Féin being in government.