Budget challenge - Coming days may define Cowen era

THE Sunday Business Post poll showing a 4% fall in Fianna Fáil support — to 36% — would normally mean an especially early reveille for the Soldiers of Destiny at their Lower Mount Street headquarters but such are the challenges facing Taoiseach Cowen and his colleagues that they cannot afford to spend too long dwelling on this poor report card.

Neither will they spend too long worrying about the fact that Fine Gael rose by 3% to 28%. In reality, Fianna Fáil is lucky to escape with a four-point fall at this time of economic chaos, soaring unemployment and uncertainty following its amateur Lisbon campaign.

The fact that the fall, and Fine Gael’s increase, are no more than single-digit adjustments reaffirms that the best card in Fianna Fáil’s hand remains the lack of a credible or even a vaguely inspiring alternative.