General Election - Despite polls, it is still all to play for

IF WE can be sure of anything in Irish politics, it is that low standards in high places appear to count for naught when it comes to the acid test of government performance in the eyes of voters.

This phenomenon is mirrored in the latest poll which shows that despite the fact that most people believe Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was wrong to take money from friends and businessmen in the ’90s when he was Minister for Finance, the Government’s fortunes have risen while opposition party ratings have fallen.

It is moot whether this contradiction is attributable to the sophistication of the electorate, acceptance of nod-and-wink politics, or backlash against perceived hounding of Mr Ahern by an opposition which failed to pin him down.