Who will you vote for at the next General Election?

[Del.Monte]

In theory the next General Election need not happen until February 2025 but I think that there are few amongst us that believe the present motley crew will hold it together until then. But who to vote for?

I gave up voting for mainstream parties decades ago and switched to the Greens but since their entry into government I have lost any faith that I ever had in them. Like many I am totally disillusioned with most politics but I have the added problem in that as a Southern Unionist, no party, even the Greens, actually represent my views. If I lived north of the border I would be an Ulster Unionist voter - it's not just NI Nationalists who feel disenfranchised. Given that I believe it's a civic duty to vote, and always have done, will the next General Election be first time that I stay home.

Anyway, that's me - how will you vote - for the loony left, the Greens, the 'old' Civil War parties (FF/ FG) or the 'new' civil war party (SF)?

Thread needs a poll but I can't figure how to add.

[Love and theft]

I'd agree re the greens. I gave them my vote in the local elections a couple of years because I wanted to vote for something different but it was essentially a wasted vote

FF & FG i know they are the traditional giants of politics but to me a vote for either is to continue the status quo and I like that. I think the way the county is run by and large is decent. I know there is health care, housing crisis issues etc but every county has this. Scandals come and go..again every country has these issues

For me I would not like a party that is pushing a United Ireland poll or leave the eu or anything else that would have a massive unknown impact on the country

In the end I'll probably vote for the guy that fixes the potholes on the road near my house !

[SeanCena]

I think I've run the gambit of established parties and i just can't do it anymore.

Originallly FF and their soft touch approach to corporate governance and finance left the country in a hole. Labour seem to have renounced the voters who made them, going full blown identity politicing and raising taxes to no improvement in public services at all while also imposing massive cuts to investment. Fg are golden circle personified, arrogant, cronyist and just generally thick - children's hospital, zappone,bsiley, varadkar and leaks, mccabe, simon Harris and nursing homes ,joe mchugh and education.
The greens are a vote for higher taxes for luxury ngos and nothing more.
So that leaves me with independents and SF. It's not a nice time to be a centrist in Ireland. Much of what we do is governed by the EU anyway so I'll go for the candidate with the cleanest political conscience, because it doesnt seem to matter who you put it, the same policies are enacted.

[Eoin_B]

We need a monster raving loony party they would be in for a real shot!

[kadman]

We need a monster raving loony party they would be in for a real shot!

Yeah, headed up by Bono.

[Hairy-Joe]

I tend to look at this from the "least worst" approach. For the country and the services to function, you need tax revenue coming in.

The People before Progress and their ilk would kill the country economically. They have everything free and only the "rich" are to pay for everything. Sinn Fein's economics would probably be a major turn off for the multi-nationals and as that's where I'm employed, I could be out of a job. Also, Sinn Fein have FAR too much "baggage" for me to ever consider voting for them.

FF have history when it comes to economic ruination and are far too much of a "cute hoor" vibe off them. The Greens are just daft in not going for sensible Green policies and want to kill rural Ireland.

Who's left? FG, while are being pro business, give off a superiority vibe at times, Labour have been in coalition so much the lack an identity. Social Democrats can look like a party of people who didn't get their way in other parties (Roisin Shortfall?).

Don't get me started on the rural independent. All they do is look after themselves and have zero impact due to having one vote. I consider voting for them a spoilt vote.
I'm kinda unsure who would get my vote, but I know who wouldn't.

[PogMoThoin]

The social democrats are going to pick up quite a few seats at the expense of FFG. The Greens will be wiped out. Labour won't gain any seats. I can see SF and the social democrats in the next Government along with some independents

[Frank]

Given that nothing has ever changed in how politics works in this country I’ll keep up my current habit of voting for absolutely none of them.

[Smurf]

We need a monster raving loony party they would be in for a real shot!

We could have had one, but the all left to become MEP's.

[Sparkster]

Probably Labour or FG tbh. Although I find myself really not caring all that much anymore. The political landscape has change so much, I'm not sure where I am anymore. I saw a poster in another thread saying they had become centrist as they got older. I just think either the Overton window has shifted or left and right have become far more left and far more right.

[Love and theft]

I often wondered that notion, when your younger you tend to be more liberal as you get older you become more conservative... is it because you get more sense as you get older or is it you dont believe in liberal ideas or that they dont matter as much anymore ?

[Ronald Binge]

Fine Gael, and reluctantly, Fianna Fáil. Micheal Martin is decent but I don’t trust some of his colleagues not wanting to be the trailer to a SF led government. That govt would ally Ireland with Cuba and Hamas, destroy any chance of good relations with any shade of unionism, and basically tax the crap out of anyone either creating jobs or earning 10K a year (“the Rich”) more than their supporters

[Hodors Appletart]

I live in Dublin North-West, one of my candidates in the last election (he was eleceted) is a convicted bomb-making terrorist, the FG Candidate is Noel Rock (a wet dishcloth has more about it) and the FF candidate is McAuliffe, who I personally dislike.

The standard of candidate in this constituency is abysmal, apart from Shortall really.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_No ... stituency)

I voted for SD and Green 1,2 last time, I never give McAulliffe or The Convicted Terrorist any preference.

It's a really tough docket to vote on.

[schmittel]

I think I've run the gambit of established parties and i just can't do it anymore.

Originallly FF and their soft touch approach to corporate governance and finance left the country in a hole. Labour seem to have renounced the voters who made them, going full blown identity politicing and raising taxes to no improvement in public services at all while also imposing massive cuts to investment. Fg are golden circle personified, arrogant, cronyist and just generally thick - children's hospital, zappone,bsiley, varadkar and leaks, mccabe, simon Harris and nursing homes ,joe mchugh and education.
The greens are a vote for higher taxes for luxury ngos and nothing more.
So that leaves me with independents and SF. It's not a nice time to be a centrist in Ireland. Much of what we do is governed by the EU anyway so I'll go for the candidate with the cleanest political conscience, because it doesnt seem to matter who you put it, the same policies are enacted.

Agree with all of this, center voter leaning slightly right on some issues, slightly left on others. Normally an FG voter, but had it with them. not keen on Ff after Celtic Tiger mess, plus local candidate i really cannot stand personally.

So unless one of the other parties does a massive rebrand between now and next GE, I am left with nobody to vote for.

Weirdly if an election was held tomorrow, I’d probably vote SF, and still can’t believe I am saying that, as I’m one of the the folk who was horrified at how well they did last time round.

I’d vote for them because a) closest I can get to pressing the reset button and b) they’re the best of a bad bunch on housing.

[Hairy-Joe]

Weirdly if an election was held tomorrow, I’d probably vote SF, and still can’t believe I am saying that, as I’m one of the the folk who was horrified at how well they did last time round.

I’d vote for them because a) closest I can get to pressing the reset button and b) they’re the best of a bad bunch on housing.

The one thing that I've noticed about SF is that its very easy for them to say that their policies would sort out the housing crises overnight when 1) they are not in power so none of their policies can be implemented and 2) houses take years to build (going from initial outline to person moving in)

Honest question. How can you say that they are the best of a bad bunch on housing when they have done nothing? The one thing they wanted was more rights for tenants and they got them. They are constantly shouting for more rights for the tenants and all that's doing is driving away small landlords. I know of several landlords who all had 3 to 4 houses rented out. They got so sick of the increasing tenants rights that they sold out the rented houses and bought warehousing to rent instead. It's a lot less paperwork (and they wont be without rent for two years - One had a tenant that wouldn't leave and wasn't paying rent for that long). The consequence of this is that the small investor now won't invest in housing (by buying one or two houses) only the large investor where they can own the entire block.

[schmittel]

I think their model for circa 230k affordable housing makes sense.

Best of a bad bunch because they have:

A) put a realistic figure on “affordable”
B) come up with a realistic proposal on how to achieve that.

It’s not personally what I would do to tackle the housing problem, but my point is there is nobody I agree with to vote for, hence being left with the option of best of a bad bunch.

[JohnBarnes]

Very difficult question, and I will probably go for the least worst, or the one who has impressed most locally.

I really like the local SD, but as a party I find them awful fence sitters who would do nothing in government.

SF, I work for a MNC, and want to keep my job - I look at the North and its a disaster area
FG, just come across as smug, and are in bed with all the NGOs
FF, stand for nothing
Labour, Aidan O Riordan disqualifies them (Though I do like our TD)
PBP, lol
Greens, nver ever ever voted green and never ever will, zero solutions bar tax

To be honest I think most of them are the same and just focus on the media driven issue of the day, rather than actually trying to do something that would effect change. NONE of the parties represent change, or at least a change I want. Any lurch further left means more tax for me for very little return.

Might go Aontu for the simple reason Tobin has been one of the few to question illogical decisions made during lockdown (but I am not sure they will even have a candidate where I am)

[BadaBing]

Justin Barret!
Now obviously i dont want to see the far right get power, but i think the best thing for the country would be the main stream parties to get the shock of their lives and see Barret and his kind get a solid 5% of the vote, it would really light a fire under the FF/FG to get their act together and operate in the best interests of the public.

[SeanCena]

Justin Barret!
Now obviously i dont want to see the far right get power, but i think the best thing for the country would be the main stream parties to get the shock of their lives and see Barret and his kind get a solid 5% of the vote, it would really light a fire under the FF/FG to get their act together and operate in the best interests of the public.

No, it won't. It'll just be the usual "rise of fascism, we must preach harder!" Rather than actually understand the populations ire, and go about addressing it.

[marhay70]

Easier to say who I won't vote for and that is FF/FG/LAB/ Greens/SF/Aontu or any extreme religious nutter. Everyone else is in with a shout.
We have been badly served by politicians in Ireland and the policy of the electorate of voting en masse for Civil War parties for almost 100 years has left a poor selection of Opposition Parties. I long for a Parnell or an O'Connell to emerge.

[Love and theft]

I think their model for circa 230k affordable housing makes sense.

Best of a bad bunch because they have:

A) put a realistic figure on “affordable”
B) come up with a realistic proposal on how to achieve that.

It’s not personally what I would do to tackle the housing problem, but my point is there is nobody I agree with to vote for, hence being left with the option of best of a bad bunch.

I think fair play to you for replying with your reasoning for your comment 'best of a bad bunch' but seriously it gave me a good laugh

SF would find out fairly quickly that housing is not an overnight quick fix. All parties have the best of intentions re housing but there is so many moving parts involved it will take along time before we are ever ahead of the problem

[Supercell]

Will be voting independant or FG. The greens are not just about being green anymore, so basically stand for nothing except maybe "woke", FF destroyed the country and are utterly incompetant. FG are marginally better. SF will result in a mass exodus of the multinationals due to their to tax "the rich" policies. As I work for a large US multinational thats a risk i dont want to take.

[scooby]

SF but not because I have faith in them - because the only way to get FF/FG to see sense on some positions is to have a very real risk of them not being in power at all.

Housing is a good example - up until recently the mantra was let the market fix it (except for all FGs market interventions which made things worse).
SF had some sane housing proposals which would not inflate asking prices or curtail supply, and only following that & more gains for SF in polls did FG/FF do a 180 and decide to go big on building housing (the Housing For All plan due Sept '21).

Do I have faith SF would run the country better than FG/FF if they had a majority? I think it'd be around the same.
But seeing a government with no FG or FF would put manners on them and perhaps they would cater more to their constituents again instead of lobbyists and business interests.

[Del.Monte]

To anyone voting SF for whatever reason I ask, what about the possible nightmare scenario of the party being the lead party in governments north and south of the border simultaneously, a sure recipe for civil war as they would try and force through a border poll.

[schmittel]

To anyone voting SF for whatever reason I ask, what about the possible nightmare scenario of the party being the lead party in governments north and south of the border simultaneously, a sure recipe for civil war as they would try and force through a border poll.

For whatever reason? If the reason a young person who is currently paying record high rent votes SF is because SF's idea of an affordable house is about 230k whereas FFGs is about 400k, do you think they care a damn about a border poll?