The price of power
Insides Ireland’s crisis coalition
Pat Leahy
Penguin press
At this stage this really is a book for the political anorak or student. It tells the story of the first half of the coalition of Fine Gael and labour from 2010 – 2015. Well it picks out the last vestiges of the previous Green Party/ fIanna fail coalition first.
It’s been said when it comes to elections that voters don’t have long memories. There’s been 2 general elections and governments since this one and not a lot has changed.
It is an absorbing insight into how the establishment ticks over. It’s not just a case of getting elected end running the country, no relationships have to be built up and trust garnered. Well it does if you come in At a time when the country is at is lowest ebb, owing money and reputation to the world.
The telling line at the end “there is no government message. There are two parties who are agreed on how to get things done”, summed up this marriage of convenience. History shows the voters didn’t forgive the Labour Party in much the way fIanna fail and the greens were quickly rejected. Politics, like the economy can be cyclical and maybe the Labour Party will have their day once more. Who knows but this is an interesting tale of what’s it is like when you seek to be a resident in the corridors of power
niallhope
