Judgement day for Kenny?

Judgement Day for Kenny?


Local and European Elections a stern mid-term test for government

Áine Ryan

AS ballot box after ballot box was opened on February 25, 2011, a blue tsunami covered the count centre in Castlebar. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was the kingmaker with four out of the five DΡil seats being gifted to Fine Gael in the General Election.
History was being made in the TF Royal Theatre just like next Friday, May 23, the abolition of town councils and the newly aligned Municipal Districts will mark a new era in local government.
Significantly though, for the 100,000 plus citizens of Mayo entitled to vote, this election will also offer an opportunity to state how they feel about our Taoiseach and his Government.  
Will year-after-year of austerity budgets influence traditional party affiliations? For over one-third (34.4 per cent) of the people who responded to a Mayo News online poll, it will. They responded that the category of ‘Jobs’ was the issue that would most affect their votes.
Interestingly, and in-line with national trends, a significant 44 per cent said they would vote Independent in response to a question: “Which party will get your first preference?”
On the other hand, when asked: “What’s more important to you, the party or the politician?”, a whopping  two out of three (66 per cent) said the politician was more important. So is this an opportune time for Fianna FΡil to find redemption from banking bailouts and tribunals?     
As politicians themselves know well, despite analysis and predictions,  the real poll will not be held until those preferences are made next Friday on ballot papers in stations from Blacksod to Ballina, Charlestown to Claremorris, Louisburgh to Achill.
For former councillor and DΡil deputy, Jim Higgins MEP, it may prove an historic day too. The extension of the European Parliament constituency of the Midlands-North-West, to make it the second biggest geographically in the EU, has posed serious challenges for all the candidates. Effectively, it forced Higgins to canvas in uncharted territory.