Search Results for 'Liberal Democrats'

While last week's historic referendum on same sex marriage was undoubtedly the political event of the year in Ireland, earlier this month the eyes in Leinster House were very firmly fixed on events across the Irish Sea and the British general election.

The recent UK General Election on May 7 has left many political commentators, TV, radio and written pundits scratching their heads and pondering.   What will it mean for Fine Gael? – Can Enda Kenny emulate David Cameron’s triumph? What will it mean for the Labour Party? – will the Liberal Democrats demise as the smaller Party in the UK mean an equal fate awaits Joan Burton and her Labour Party?

The recent UK General Election on May 7 has left many political commentators, TV, radio and written pundits scratching their heads and pondering. What will it mean for Fine Gael? – Can Enda Kenny emulate David Cameron’s triumph? What will it mean for the Labour Party? – will the Liberal Democrats demise as the smaller Party in the UK mean an equal fate awaits Joan Burton and her Labour Party?

An electorate fatigued by years of unrelenting economic bad news and grinding austerity; disenchanted with the Government’s failure to tackle the failings of the political system and engage in meaningful reform; the lack of a coherent alternative from an Opposition that has, at its heart, a party still tainted by its role in the economic crash and still toxic for many; a surge in support for ‘Others’ manifesting itself in both opinion polls and local election results.

Over recent weeks, despite the happy distraction of the St Patrick’s Day festivities and the Easter break, Insider has detected a sense of worry in people’s demeanour created by a largely unexpected development that has truly shaken them out of any complacency.

Political anoraks will have enjoyed - and indeed are still enjoying the fallout from - the past month as the first genuinely competitive British general election since 1992 has played out.

It was a very smart move by Eamon Gilmore to declare himself as a contender for the position of taoiseach. This caught Fine Gael on the hop and led to the largest surge in the opinion polls that Labour has ever had.