What we've learned from political party think-ins

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Following their annual think-ins, RTÉ's political staff assess where the the various parties stand ahead of what could be a tumultuous autumn

The discussions and debates were held against the backdrop of the upcoming October budget, a possible no-deal Brexit and the prospect of a May 2020 election as suggested by the Taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar argued that a Brexit deal should have been achieved by May 2020 or the Government would have, as he termed it, guided the country through the worst impacts of a no deal outcome. The Greens were also hit - maybe reflecting a concern that rising Green Party support could mean that it takes urban seats being targeted by Fine Gael in the next General Election.A political barb by the Taoiseach while in east Cork was met with consternation, if not a little glee by Green Party members gathering in Cork city.

Equally, there was a clear appetite to campaign in the upcoming Dáil by-elections and prepare for the inevitable General Election. The new emphasis follows the electoral rout the party experienced in the local and European elections last May, when it lost two MEPs and the number of elected councillors fell from 159 to 81.

Of those issues, Brexit is the most pressing. Ms McDonald has said the re-emerging notion of a Northern Ireland only backstop is "the least worst option" but she also warned that neither Unionists or the Assembly can have a veto over any such arrangement. Amid the uncertainty posed by Brexit, Fianna Fáil does not want an election before Christmas and favours looking at the issue sometime next spring.

The journey down the county for these gatherings is primarily about cultivating team spirit, but that’s not easy to achieve when you are putting election tickets together. So it proved in Wexford when Lisa McDonald found out that she would be running in the next election with two more male colleagues.

Tax hikes and spending cuts then have not faded from the memory. The more recent election figures indicate that many voters, who backed the party in 2011, still want Labour to atone for its actions when it held power.Social Democrats By Edel McAllister She also said they would approach any discussions on government formation based on issues, rather than parties.

Ms Murphy said issues such as broadband, the Children's Hospital, the public services card and housing would have been enough to cause a general election in other circumstances.

 

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