Adrian Kavanagh has posted an interesting and extensive geographical analysis of the Irish Times/MRBI poll on the Political Reform blog.
He extrapolates resulting seat totals too. They would be Fianna Fail 40; Fine Gael 55; Labour 54; Green Party 0; Sinn Féin 11; Other 6. Which, if reflected, would leave us in a right tizzy, with no clear coalitions. Has Gilmore ruled out government with FF? I can’t remember but something in the back of my mind tells me he has…
See here: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0614/finegael.html
“The Labour Party leader has again ruled out the prospect of a future coalition with Fianna Fáil.”
“Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics, to be broadcast tonight, Eamon Gilmore said he expected his party would be able to resolve significant policy differences with Fine Gael, in the aftermath of a general election, to allow both parties form a new government.”
The thing is, does it matter if Gilmore has ruled out coalition with Fianna Fáil? Did Labour rule it out when the Spring tide came in? For that matter, I remember Eamonn Ryan telling me the Greens would not go into coalition with Fianna Fáil around 2005. His reason? FF was too close to property developers.
Interesting times and all that.