Elections: Expect all manner of outrageous wheezes over the coming 72 hours

Good morning.

Polling stations open bright and early on Friday morning, and until then every politician has at least one eye on the elections. Weekend polls brought mixed news for all parties and candidates but the final few days of the campaign will see the usual desperate charge for votes all over the country as candidates and their teams stretch for the line. Expect all manner of outrageous wheezes over the coming 72 hours -- dirty tricks, fantastical promises of all shapes and sizes, solemn undertakings, desperate pleading, bribes, threats, outright lies, truths, half-truths, innuendos and even some good, decent, honest politics. God, you’d have to love elections all the same.

Here's a few things to watch out for detailed in this article.

One thing that has been noticeable over recent days is how much Fianna Fáil has turned up the heat on Fine Gael, using the controversies over the National Broadband Plan and the National Children's Hospital to attack its rivals, er, partners in the confidence and supply arrangement on grounds that Fine Gael rather naively thinks of as home turf - responsible financial and fiscal management, economic prudence etc.

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Judging by the increasing rate they’re at it, Fianna Fáil clearly thinks it is making ground on the point. This is as much - and maybe more so -- about the next general election, than it is about Friday’s elections.

Last night's debate among the Dublin MEP candidates on RTÉ was characteristically well marshalled by Claire Byrne, but the truth is that you can't really have a debate between 10 people. Those shortcomings notwithstanding, it was probably the most informative of the debates so far - even if much of the debate was on subjects such as the overthrow of capitalism, which featured prominently, are perhaps beyond the likely purview of the next European Parliament.

We have been out on the election trail with candidates for both local councils and the European Parliament.

Harry McGee has a series of reports, including video pieces, from the European election campaign, while Jennifer Bray was out and about in Dublin with local candidates.

Coverage will continue until the polls open and we’ll have extensive results over the weekend and into next week.

The drugs don’t work

Yesterday's report that a number of senior doctors were warning about legalising cannabis prompted a fierce reaction from pro-legalisation campaigners. Today, Paul Cullen and Jennifer Bray report in our lead story that the Government is likely to introduce liberalising measures on drug possession but will stop short of the decriminalisation anticipated by many.

There'll be a fair bit of opposition to a softening in the drug laws in Fine Gael, you would expect, but the sense coming out of the Department of Health is that it wants to move towards treating the issue as a health problem rather than a criminal justice one. Fine Gael has had two strong traditions for decades, law and order, and social liberalism. Rarely have the two been in such direct conflict.

Big Day for Brexit, part 147

Just because you haven't heard about it of late doesn't mean that Brexit has gone away, you know. Far from it. The Cabinet will discuss the issue when it meets this morning, following a briefing on thestate of play with Brexit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, which will also include updates on no-deal planning. But the action, as ever, is at Westminster.

Theresa May presents yet another Brexit plan to her Cabinet today, a prelude to the apparent intention of bringing Brexit legislation to the House of Commons in early June. The omens, to put it mildly, are not good.

Denis Staunton's report is here. It's a measure of how much Nigel Farage is becoming the dominant politician in the UK that the sight of him covered in a milkshake adorns every front page today. No doubt many will cheer the prank – and the sight of the glum-faced Nigel dripping with dairy is not unamusing – but hold on: attacking candidates is not a slope anyone wants to start slipping on.

Best reads

Carl O'Brien reports on our front page that a new study finds standardised tests in primary school are causing stress and anxiety among pupils.

Denis reports on the pressure to give British soldiers who served in the North protection from prosecution.

Where has the highest rate (not number) of divorces? Carlow of course.

Miriam reports from Powerscourt House, which hosted Prince Charles and Camilla yesterday, and where they were afforded, she writes, the singular honour of an audience with Simon Harris.

Fintan advocates a vote for the Greens in the European elections.

And Will Hutton says the rise of Farage will ultimately lead to a Remain coalition that will keep the UK in the EU.

Playbook

Cabinet meets today though the agenda was said to be light last night. There'll be Brexit and Charlie Flanagan will bring the annual renewal of emergency powers.

Prince Charles of the neighbouring jurisdiction is still here today, while all parties will be out and about campaigning. The Greens are going on a cycling trip around Dublin. Let’s hope they get through it without any fatalities.

The Dáil meets at 2pm with leaders questions followed by the order of business for the week, and then Taoiseach's Questions. Richard Bruton is up on ministerial questions afterwards, so you can guess what he'll be asked about. Full details of Oireachtas business, including Seanad and committee sittings here.

Today is the birthday of former president Mary Robinson (also Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Pope, if you’re interested). Whether you agreed with her or not, her career is a testament to the power of democratic politics to inspire and to change. And wasn’t it Pope who said, “Of all those arts in which the wise excel, nature’s chief masterpiece is writing well”? Well, you be the judge. Meanwhile, have yourself a thoroughly fruity day.