PDs RIP?

[jd26]

It looks like one of their two remaining TDs may jump to Fianna Fail. Is this the end of the party?

http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=71013-qqqx=1.asp

[Jim Comic]

party of one




they've been dead in the water since McDowell failed to pull the plug on bertie 2-3 years ago.

Being FF's 'watchdog' was their only real selling point (especially in dublin) and once McDowell bottled it by choosing to stay in power with a well-compromised bertie then their political credibility was fatally harmed.

let that be a lesson to all small parties, the greens need to be very careful in this regard. Too much association with the political cesspool that is F.F. could taint them seriously.

[jd26]

The party’s over: After 23 years, the PDs disband
By Paul O’Brien, Political Correspondent

THE Progressive Democrats are set to dissolve next month after the party leadership finally admitted defeat last night and acknowledged they had no future.


The four senior members who form the parliamentary party of the PDs met for crisis talks in Kildare and agreed it was time to wind up the party after 23 years in existence.

Afterwards, the four — party leader Ciaran Cannon, Health Minister Mary Harney, Noel Grealish TD and Senator Fiona O’Malley — met with the PDs’ national executive and councillors to explain they were unanimous in their view that it was time to call it a day.


Emerging from this latter meeting just before 10pm last night, a terse and emotional Mr Cannon said it was a “very, very sad night”. The party had a very frank and open discussion, he said, and voiced the collective opinion that the PDs are no longer politically viable.

However, he stressed that he and his parliamentary party colleagues could not dictate the PDs’ future. The entire party membership would have to decide on the issue, and will be invited to a special conference on an unspecified date next month to air their views.

But it is almost certain the view of the party leadership will prevail, meaning the conference will merely be a technicality arranged to rubber-stamp the decision to dissolve the party.

Mr Cannon said the uncertainty of recent months had been unfair to the party’s candidates for next summer’s local elections. Most of these candidates are expected to join other parties, as are Mr Grealish and Ms O’Malley.

It’s believed Ms Harney will remain in government as an independent TD if the party is dissolved. Mr Cannon did not address his own future. He said he would “argue till the cows come home that we have triumphed, we are leaving the field with a degree of grace and dignity that is only befitting of the party”.

The PDs had faced crises before –— haemorrhaging seats in the 1989 and 1997 general elections — but always bounced back. But last year’s general election meltdown proved a bridge too far, with the PDs losing six of their eight Dáil seats, party leader Michael McDowell being among the casualties.

In April, Mr Cannon beat Ms O’Malley in the race for the leadership, and insisted the party would continue until the local elections, the results of which would decide whether the PDs had a future.

However, Mr Cannon failed to inspire as leader, leading to a flurry of speculation in recent days that Mr Grealish would renege on a commitment to remain until the local elections and instead defect to Fianna Fáil.

Significantly, Mr Grealish failed to deny that speculation, leading to last night’s crisis talks. Mr Cannon said Mr Grealish was only a “symptom of the malaise” that had affected the party recently. Mr Grealish had committed to stay with the party until the outcome of next month’s conference is known, Mr Cannon added.

It's a pity in many ways. When they launched, they were the first Irish party to try being socially liberal while promoting right-wing economics. But that party gave way to the increasingly vicious leadership of Mary Harney and then Michael McDowell. You'd wonder what might have happened if Pat Cox had become leader instead of Harney.

[northmallexile]

I'd find it difficult to mourn the PD's demise, but I am a little worried about the vacuum now created on the Right. The Liz O'Donnell wing of the party always seemed to just about hold the worst excesses of the PDs in check - you'd worry about a new party coalescing around the Libertas movement that wouldn't have any such qualms.

What rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Ranelagh to be born?

[Eoin]

They had no redeeming features whatsoever.

This is a great day for Irish politics IMO.

[jd26]

The current party has no redeeming features. I wouldn't be so quick to judge the O'Malley era party.

I agree with NME that their demise could potentially be undesirable if some of the more right-wing members end up allying themselves with Little Irelanders (sort of like an Irish Conservative Party).

It will be interesting to see what happens to the various councillors. I think Mairin Quill is the only one in Cork (although I have a vague feeling that they have a town councillor somewhere as well). I would imagine she'll serve out as an Independent and then retire. Further round the country, it could be good news for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Then again one of their councillors in Louth switched to Labour and I could see some of the South Dublin ones going to the Greens, so who knows who will do best out of it.

[juan pablo]

The PDs made much of their commitment to ending corruption in politics and introducing neo liberal economic policies into Ireland.

This is all well and good except they are directly responsible for keeping 2 corrupt leaders in power and probably saving FF from the kind of electoral oblivion that befell other corrupt parties around Europe.

Their economics are part of the acceptance worldwide of the chicago school guff that has been in vogue for the past few decades and being responsible for the global financial mess we're in right now.

If 2007 didnt wipe out the PDs completely like it has, the recession we're having now would have killed them off in 2009 & 2011, their remaining elected reps know that the PD banner is is an unpopular one.

I blame Mary Harney for their demise, she was eager to jump into bed with FF in 1997. The fact that Ray Burke was found to be corrupt in 1997 a few months into office should have alerted the PDs then to what was to come.

[northmallexile]

Cedar Lounge, as ever, is interesting on this: http://cedarlounge.wordpres s.com/2008/09/17/chronicle-of-a-political-death-postponed-the-pds-get-a-four-week-reprieve-then-they-die/

[Bill O'Reilly]

The PDs and their policies were a comprehensive failure. Goodbye and good ridance to the party and its former members. Hopefully Fine Gael will follow them into the abyss.

[Arcadia]

The PDs and their policies were a comprehensive failure. Goodbye and good ridance to the party and its former members. Hopefully Fine Gael will follow them into the abyss.

Yes,

Damn them for their low taxes and free market putting manners on the Fianna Fail gombeen wing and being tough on Sinn Fein scumbags

[Bill O'Reilly]

Don't forget Destroying the health service, Increasing the gap between rich and poor, Falsely accusing people of being republican/Sinn Fein sympathizers when they never were, Supporting the war in Iraq, Electing the worst political leader Ireland has ever seen Michael McDowell, Proping up Fianna Fail for many years etc. The list is endless! PDs rot in hell!

[starchaser]

never really understood the point of the PDs .. besides a useful excuse for Fianna Fail to point the finger at unpopular policies "oh look , its the PDs..."

if the PDs were so against Fianna Fail , how come they were in coalition with them.. ah yes.. power. power is a seductive thing - and power sucked them in, and spat them out.

thank god. the biggest bunch of self interested fucking wankers this side of the dark side of the moon.

[Actin The Sham]

never really understood the point of the PDs .. besides a useful excuse for Fianna Fail to point the finger at unpopular policies "oh look , its the PDs..."

if the PDs were so against Fianna Fail , how come they were in coalition with them.. ah yes.. power. power is a seductive thing - and power sucked them in, and spat them out.

thank god. the biggest bunch of self interested fucking wankers this side of the dark side of the moon.

They're rapidly being replaced by the Green party. Paul Gogarty TD (Greens) said in the Dáil last night: "I don't want to vote for this bill (the bank bailout bill), because of the scum that it will help, but I have to."


The Green Party is now The Yellow Party, and hopefully Fianna Fáil will do to them what it did to the PDs recently, and the Labour Party before that when Dick Spring went in with them. Are the smaller parties fools or what? The Greens will wither away at the next election.

[jd26]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0130/1232923376104.html

[hemlock666]

Theres no need for the PD's now that we have the New Improved Green Party with 50% extra spinless FF asslicking free! Good to see the PD's go though. They'd privatise taking a shit if they could.