Alliance ‘will topple Labour’

Hard-left group the Anti-Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit has predicted it could have more votes than Labour after tomorrow’s general election due to a “meltdown” of the Government party.

Sitting TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Ruth Coppinger, and Paul Murphy made the claim at their end-of-campaign press conference yesterday, saying it was possible their own grouping could have seven seats while Labour could fall below five.

Dun Laoghaire TD Mr Boyd Barrett said a “seismic shift” is taking place in politics and Labour is facing “a really severe meltdown”.

While declining to say how far Labour could fall, his Dublin West colleague Ms Coppinger said it may return fewer than five seats. She said AAA/PBP vote gains in Cork North Central [Mick Barry], Limerick City [Cian Prendiville], and parts of Dublin are possible.

For more election news, analysis and general banter join us HERE

Ms Coppinger, who faces a battle for the final seat in her constituency with Labour leader Joan Burton, said she believes the rival party cannot be resuscitated and is facing a “burning anger” from voters similar to what hit Fianna Fáil five years ago.

Insisting it is “nothing personal”, she said “there’s no doubt a feature of this election is the demise of the Labour Party”.

Dublin South West TD Paul Murphy suggested Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil should have run as a single party as they represent “the same fatal policies”.

He said while a coalition involving the parties would not be good in the short-term for the country, it would help the left in the medium- to-long-term as “such a government could definitely be beaten”.

All party positions and priorities on major #GE16 issues right here #DoYourJob #Vote https://t.co/62Fkq0iXqC ^DH pic.twitter.com/QNUXoDo510

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) February 24, 2016