Sir, – Those looking for a name for Lucinda Creighton’s new party should note, as Enda Kenny may ruefully reflect, that the name of the former Fine Gael junior minister contains the letters which spell out “Chagrin Uncoiled”. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Gaoth Dobhair,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – I can’t help but wonder if Lucinda Creighton has missed the boat in her decision to launch a new political party. It reminds me a little of the launch on January 1st of UTV Ireland. After a five-minute promotional video, we were treated to an hour-long episode of a programme set on a Yorkshire farm.
UTV Ireland won’t be in top gear for a few months until some of its new programmes start, seemingly a bit like Lucinda’s as yet unnamed party.
Last year when I attended the “monster rally” in the RDS, there was an undoubted air of anticipation and energy in the hall that something exciting was afoot. Since then, however, we have had the local elections and the marked increase in support for Independents and Sinn Féin.
While large numbers of people have turned away from the heretofore large parties such as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, they now consider Independents to be a viable alternative. People such as Shane Ross and Michael Fitzmaurice talk about forming an alliance of Independents as opposed to a new party.
The present supporters of Independents will not necessarily move to a new party unless they are offering something very radical which people can identify with. So far I don’t see much evidence of this with Lucinda’s new party.
Let’s hope we get something more substantial soon, otherwise I for one will be waving goodbye to this particular boat. – Yours, etc,
TOMMY RODDY,
Galway.
Sir, – Lucinda Creighton is quoted as saying, in the context of the pre-launch of her new political party, that the party wants to make Ireland “a great place to innovate, to grow, to build and expand a small business, to employ people, to work and to be a consumer”.
The choice of the word consumer, as opposed to citizen, is revealing. As a citizen of this republic, I will not be marching behind the flag of the new party, which already suggests a prioritisation of business over people and a preference for an economy rather than a society.
The much-heralded party promises much of the same, I’m afraid. – Yours, etc,
NESSAN VAUGHAN,
Baldoyle,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – Rehash(tag)? – Yours, etc,
DES SHAW,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – Reboot Ireland. Control? Alternative? Delete. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’LEARY,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – A “new” political party is being set up to “reboot” the old system, which in computing terms simply means restarting the old system as it is. If this new party was genuinely about reform shouldn’t it be called “Upgrade”?
Ms Creighton loyally voted in favour of every single cutback imposed by this Government on the most vulnerable in society and not once in her entire career as a Fine Gael TD did she do a single thing to affect the removal of even one of the many allowances and tax reliefs that allow the well-off to minimise the amount of tax they pay. – Yours, etc,
DESMOND FitzGERALD,
Canary Wharf,
London.
Sir, – How about the Pip (pig in a poke) Party? – Yours, etc,
TOM KELLY,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Old-style politics prevails; the new party has not even been named and we have promises to reduce or eliminate USC already tabled. What the electorate wants is real and sustainable change to both the way the Government and the Civil Service is managed.
This is what we were promised at the last election and one has only to look back at 2014 to see a chaotic Government, stumbling from crisis to crisis, with absolutely no change of any significance. I say to the new party, take care, great care, and be aware that the electorate is demanding change and will no longer be fooled by promises of largesse. – Yours, etc,
PAUL KEENAN,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.