Fine Gael, the United Ireland Party
Perhaps he should remember this when next he wishes to make another ridiculous statement: The official name of our party is ‘Fine Gael - United Ireland Party’. Rather than being a family at war, it should be noted that it was former Fine Gael Taoiseach John Bruton who first involved former US Senator George Mitchell in the Northern Ireland peace process and Dr Garret FitzGerald was the chief architect of the Sunningdale and Anglo-Irish Agreements that led to the most crucial breakthroughs in the peace process since it began.
In our worst outing in half a century, Fine Gael got 22.5% of the vote. We need something approaching 30% to bring us back to government and that is entirely achievable.
We already have 484 public representatives (TDs, senators, MEPs and councillors) and are, by far, the second-largest party in the State.
The really good news from the recent Irish Times/TNS MRBI poll is that 18 years of failed Fianna Fáil government can be brought to an end in the next general election.
With the resources that were available, an Ireland that values both enterprise and fairness could now have been created.
The public recognises that failure: 46% would now vote for Fine Gael/Labour/Greens, compared to 36% for Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats - a clear 10-point lead.
When Fine Gael - all of us, not just the leader and front bench - stands by its ethos, recovery will follow. If we do not have, within the party, sufficiently credible new candidates offering to run, we must look outside the party for able people to carry the Fine Gael banner.
This is why being clear about our ethos is imperative.
With other policy-driven parties, we could enliven this country and bring about a more just society - one that is both enterprising and fair.
Mark Wakefield,
Youth Officer,
Fine Gael,
Cork North-Central,
Bandon Road,
Cork
