Gilmore 'now a serious candidate for Taoiseach' 11/06/2010 - 11:34:07
Eamon Gilmore will be a serious candidate for next Taoiseach, it was claimed today, after an opinion poll put Labour as the biggest political party in the state for the first time.
Mr Gilmore is also by far the most popular political leader in the Dáil, while soaring nationwide support for his party has pushed Fine Gael into second place and Fianna Fáil third.
It caps a dismal week for the Government after eminent financial experts offered a damning assessment of Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s years at the helm in the Department of Finance.
Pat Rabbitte, Labour’s justice spokesman and former leader, described the opinion poll boost as a political earthquake.
“Clearly this morning’s poll is something of an earthquake in Irish politics and I think it is an endorsement of the approach that Eamon Gilmore has taken in leading the party in the context of the economic crisis,” he said.
“It’s very hard to argue with the figures.
“He (Eamon Gilmore) seems to be the thinking person’s choice for leader. He has to be a viable candidate for Taoiseach.”
According to the opinion poll, carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Labour is becoming more popular right across the country, not just its traditional Dublin power base.
The Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll showed the front three as Labour on 32% – up eight; Fine Gael on 28% – down four; Fianna Fail on 17% – down five.
If the support was translated into actual votes in a general election it could treble Labour’s Dáil seats to 60.
Support for the smaller parties showed Sinn Fein on 9% – up one; the Green Party on 3% – no change; and Independents/Others on 11% – no change.
Mr Rabbitte added: “Labour has been pushing for a General Election because of the terrible disaffection that is out there.
“The demoralisation is reflected in this poll in that the people just don’t believe that those who are responsible for leading us into the hole are capable of leading us out.
“The sooner there is a Government with a new mandate the better, I think, for the country to get back to economic recovery.”
Despite the poor showing, Mr Cowen insisted last night the Dáil would run its full term into 2012.
