Readers' blog: Demands for Brexit rerun an affront to democracy
Two former taoisigh, Bertie Ahern and John Bruton, were interviewed on RTÉ TV’s This week in Politics last Sunday, making a joint demand for rerunning of the 2016 Brexit referendum, which is surely an affront to democracy, especially coming from these former prominent politicians.
I very much doubt that this dynamic duo would support a rerun of an inconclusive Irish general election, should some cobbled-together government need to be formed (as with the present do-nothing Dáil), just for political expediency — which sometimes can happen and which will probably happen more often in the future — against the wishes of the main body of the electorate.
Another suggestion might be to allow Irish voters the right to unelect politicians of any particular party who renege on their pre-election promises to the people. Under present legislation such politicos get to rest in the Oireachtas for four to five years, while their state pension credits accumulate — courtesy of the taxpayer — and while the electorate must wait much too long to get rid of those errant TDs (as has happened to those of the Labour and Greens in recent elections) but who will eventually get their comeuppance at the next election (too far down the road for voters like me).
Midleton
Co Cork
