Sir, – In your editorial "Early election a very risky bet" (September 24th), you write that a November election is "one hell of a gamble". A polling day within six weeks of the budget announcement may place the Coalition instead in a purgatory of anxiety rather than the hell of certainty with a spring election.
All of the major parties and the grouping labelled Independent have seen only limited variations in their standings in recent opinion surveys; there is perhaps little reason to expect any significant improvement for the Coalition parties in the surveys between now and the spring.
This summer bore witness to a series of unexpected or uncontrollable situations for which the Government had, at best, only tepid responses.
The coming winter may be a season of discontent in the aftermath of further unplanned or uncontrollable events. The Coalition will want to conduct a campaign of happy economic news. The budget announcement presents an opportunity of easing the burden of austerity. The glow hoped from this offering will have faded by the spring. – Yours, etc,
DAN DONOVAN,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – My money’s on a November election; and I will confidently predict that the next government will be a Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil coalition.Indeed, I will go further and say that Dick Spring’s concept of a “rotating taoiseach” will finally come to fruition. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Enda Kenny should brush up on his Shakespeare. “Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends” (Henry VI, Part 1). – Yours, etc,
MARIE O’REILLY,
Bray, Co Wicklow.
