New wave of emigrants to Britain enter a familiar political landscape

HAVE you encountered the latest social phenomenon? The Celtic Cubs are voting with their feet. They’ve heard all the propaganda about recovery and positivity. Their real choice is Canada, Australia or Britain. Emigration parties are now commonplace as well wishers offer their best for a bright new future.

For parents, the least worst prospect is Britain – an hour away by air, regularly home at the weekends, accessible and close by. The British labour market was never more important to the Irish.

British politicians are mere virgins in the business of coalition government. Our electorate are accustomed to post-ballot horse-trading since the late 1980s when Haughey crossed the Rubicon of Fianna Fáil’s core value of single-party government. Faced with a hung parliament in the Dáil, we start with a calculator and work out which combination of parties adds up to 84 TDs. This is the magic figure that exceeds 50% of our 166 deputies.