A new opinion poll for the Irish Sunday Times is showing a remarkable surge in support for Sinn Féin who have leapt into second place in the popularity stakes, at the expense of Fianna Fáil and also the Labour party. The poll puts Sinn Féin on 25%. To put that into perspective, their result in first preferences at the 2011 elections in the southern state was 9.9%. The big story is that they have eclipsed Fianna Fáil and that the media has been stunned by Adams' performance since the 2011 elections, having not been used to any coherent opposition to the various parties of the southern establishment during the Celtic Tiger years.
The poll shows that Adams is now the most popular politician in the state, with a higher approval rating than the Taoiseach Enda Kenny. The recent Presidential campaign of deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also saw the party increase their figurative share of the vote, and brought questions about the country's moral and social direction into sharper focus.
Party first preferences (2011 election result in brackets)-
Fine Gael- 32% (36)
Sinn Féin- 25% (10)
Fianna Fáil- 16% (17)
Labour- 10% (19)
Independents and others- 17% (17)
Labels: elections, Fianna Fail, Gerry Adams, Ireland, Martin McGuinness, opinion poll, Sinn Fein
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6 comments:
Ireland has a decent national press. Fianna Fail is complaining the media is pro Sinn Fein and giving Adams bias because he is seen as taking on the corrupt chancers.
Anon, so it's the exact opposite of what we have here in Wales then?
I am convinced the political landscape here would be substantially changed if a majority of our people read Welsh news.
My disclaimer though is that this doesn't mean Labour wouldn't be the most popular party or anything like that. There are obvious class and socio-economic explanations for their enduring support base.
It'd be wishful thinking to assume the order of parties would be radically different with a better informed population, but elections would be a bit less predictable, and regardless of party politics the situation in Welsh democracy is appalling.
"I am convinced the political landscape here would be substantially changed if a majority of our people read Welsh news."
That's something that's always baffled me.
I don't see what is baffling. If a majority of people in Wales could one day name their own head of government (something that was only barely achieved by Rhodri Morgan) it would make a massive difference to politics here. Although as I also said the order of parties wouldn't be substantially different, the difference would be felt in other aspects. There would be alot more scrutiny of Ministers etc.
You would have to really bury your head in the sands if you thought it was okay to have a huge democratic deficit in the way Welsh people get their information. It does reduce the quality of scrutiny and debate and yes it does give the Government an easier ride. Just sometimes you see nats suggest if only there was a Welsh media Plaid would finish first. You don't suggest that but others do.
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