FG-Labour common statement needed closer to election – Hayes

An election statement of common aims between Fine Gael and Labour on issues such as tax and health would only need to be unveiled a month from polling day, Dublin MEP and Fine Gael strategist Brian Hayes has said.

It is understood some informal discussions about such a statement have taken place between figures in the parties.

Mr Hayes said such a document, which would outline proposals for policy in areas such as tax, could follow a template set down when the rainbow coalition of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left was seeking re-election in 1997.

However, some senior figures in Fine Gael believe this approach diluted the party's message on tax cuts and left the door open to Bertie Ahern's Fianna Fáil.

Mr Hayes is heavily involved in candidate strategy with Tom Curran, the party's general secretary, and echoed the views of others at the top of Fine Gael and Labour that both parties need separate manifestos.

Election flyers

In 1997 each party had its own manifesto but all adopted a common statement of broader aims. Election flyers from 1997 on the Irish Election Literature blog also show the inclusion of the slogan “partnership works”, encouraging a transfer pact.

While the Coalition partners have recently seen sharp drops in opinion poll support, Mr Hayes said “campaigns have their own dynamic”, with significant shifts taking place in the final week to 10 days.

A joint statement of aims would help swing support back to the Coalition in the later stages as voters focus on electing a government, he said.

Support

“Fine Gael and Labour need to reach a combined 40 per cent to be in a position to form a government with the support of Independents, and 43 per cent for an overall majority.”

Many at the top of the Labour Party are also open to a vote transfer pact and a shared statement of aims but it would have to be discussed firstly by party TDs and Senators.

Speaking yesterday, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan, the Labour TD for Limerick city, said she would not rule out some kind of co-operation, but what was “hugely much more important for us is to present our own position to the Irish people”.

“My strong view is that the Labour Party, as a very distinctive party with a long history and very strong ideology, that we need to first of all concentrate on our own manifesto and what we stand for, what we want to achieve in what is now a recovering economy.

“We’ve worked really well with Fine Gael in so far as we have done what we came in to do, which was to restore a shattered economy, to get people back to work, and we’ve made a lot of progress in that regard.”