Letters to the Editor: Do nation’s politicians stand for anything at this stage?

Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

What is going on in the political mind these days? Flip-flopping on principles and beliefs now seems a daily occurrence. Your report, “Fianna Fáil minister who campaigned against abortion now says law does not go far enough” (Irish Examiner 12/9), informs us Anne Rabbitte has now joined her party leader on the other side of the abortion debate. It is a seismic shift by any comparison.

So, what is happening in the political establishment? Are they getting desperate as others surge in popularity? Are they feeling the grip on power and privilege slip through their fingers? As they desperately try to wriggle and shift position in an attempt to remain relevant, a very real danger they face is being perceived by the electorate as standing for nothing.