World of Politics with Harry McGee

Most of the public cogitation on outgoing coalitions tends to focus on the smaller party. The rule of thumb is the greater number of seats they have going into the election, the greater number of seats they are going to lose.

Only once in recent times has a smaller party bucked the trend and gained seats in an election. That happened in 2002, and in truth it mostly revolved around a ruse of Michael McDowell’s.

Fianna Fáil had come out from the first few years of the two big tribunals of inquiry smelling of something that was definitely not roses. He guessed rightly that voters might harbour some doubts about a majority Fianna Fáil government ruling by itself. He shimmied up a ladder to hang up a poster that proclaimed “Single Party Government – No Thanks!”

That single act put a brake on the momentum that was swinging behind Fianna Fáil and saw the Progressive Democrats win eight seats and deprive Bertie Ahern of an overall majority.

The PDs re-entered the coalition as the “moral watchdog”. In reality, it became – like most minority parties – the mudguard of that government. And in the 2007 elections the party was all but wiped out.

Labour did the same in 2011. With the polls showing Fine Gael running away to an overall majority, it produced the infamous Tesco advert which showed all the horrible things that would happen under a single party government.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.