Marriage is rarely one of true minds, and coalition partnerships are no exception. Invariably these are marriages more of convenience than of conviction. And the current Coalition is no exception. Nevertheless, the Fine Gael-Labour relationship in government – as a political marriage – has worked well, as Tánaiste Joan Burton has readily acknowledged. So should the parties renew their vows and contest the general election on a joint platform?
Frank Flannery, one of Fine Gael's most experienced backroom strategists, feels that they should. And he outlined to the MacGill Summer School this week why the Coalition parties should hang together, rather than hang separately. Stability, he contends, will be a major concern of voters next time, and Fine Gael and Labour fighting separate campaigns would only add to voter uncertainty about the formation of government. That approach, he said, would dilute the political brand. Fine Gael and Labour in government have survived the worst economic recession since the foundation of the State, and set the economy well on the road to full recovery. Certainly, the Coalition has left the economy in a far better state than it found it – almost bankrupt – and now has a credible record on which to contest the next general election.
Mr Flannery is also a political realist. He knows that political parties that offer a joint programme for government before a general election are rarely successful: 1973 being a notable exception, where Fine Gael and Labour won a mandate for a 14-point programme. In 1997 a rainbow coalition – comprising Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left – came close to being re-elected, when they adopted a common manifesto.
This was based on shared principles (21 goals for the 21st century) – but each party also produced its own programme. Something similar could well be tried again. This could allow the Coalition parties to stand on their record in government, and declare a willingness to fight for principles they share in common – in addition to producing their own party manifesto.