The Taoiseach is reportedly stepping up his party’s preparations for a General Election, with some staff taking up positions dedicated exclusively to work on the upcoming electoral campaign.
The party will commence choosing candidates after the New Year, and it is believed that some sitting TDs will be ‘encouraged’ not to run in the next election.
Right on the aftermath of the Irish Water/water charges debacle, at a time when support for the party is at an all time low, the Taoiseach will try to shift public opinion towards jobs and economic recovery, and he is probably banking on tax cuts introduced in the budget to kick in over the new year before seeking popular approval.
‘Watch the new year carefully,’ a Fine Gael source said. ‘We are going to be talking about tax plans. It’s a pro-jobs agenda. The more vibrant the economy is, the more jobs you are creating.’
Fine Gael and Labour face an uphill battle on this one, and it is worth mentioning at this point that all canvassing candidates will have to walk right over the water meters their party peers blithely encouraged Irish Water to install before knocking on the electorate’s doors.
They probably did not envision that walk of shame.