Democracies need a real choice but Irish voters thought Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were the same and chose a new tribe, Sinn Fein

What are my mental images of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the two traditional heavyweights of Irish politics?
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the RTE leaders debate in January. "For four years the Republic has seen a minority FG government relyon a 'confidence and supply' arrangement with the chief opposition party, Fianna Fail - which would be like a Tory and Labour administration" Photo: Niall Carson/PA WireFianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the RTE leaders debate in January. "For four years the Republic has seen a minority FG government relyon a 'confidence and supply' arrangement with the chief opposition party, Fianna Fail - which would be like a Tory and Labour administration" Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the RTE leaders debate in January. "For four years the Republic has seen a minority FG government relyon a 'confidence and supply' arrangement with the chief opposition party, Fianna Fail - which would be like a Tory and Labour administration" Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

My image of Fianna Fáil is of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union opening their annual conferences to the refrain of ‘A Nation Once Again’.

My image of Fine Gael is of an otherworldly Garret FitzGerald seeking to defend a measure which amounted to a tax on childrens’ shoes in a radio interview about a critical budget way back in the day.

Images of two opposing tribes.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald is elected during the Irish general election count. "It is hardly surprising that much of the electorate in the Republic wanted traditional Westminster style politics back" PA PhotoSinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald is elected during the Irish general election count. "It is hardly surprising that much of the electorate in the Republic wanted traditional Westminster style politics back" PA Photo
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald is elected during the Irish general election count. "It is hardly surprising that much of the electorate in the Republic wanted traditional Westminster style politics back" PA Photo
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These kind of differences are today much derided, but they are the lifeblood of parliamentary democracy, especially in the English speaking world.

Inherited from the Westminster model, parliamentary democracy works when there is a choice between two tribes who affect to viscerally loathe each other, no matter how minor the policy differences which actually separate them in the real world.

And yet for the past four years the Republic of Ireland has seen a minority Fine Gael government relying on a ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement with the chief opposition party, Fianna Fáil — you know, like the last government in London saw a minority Tory administration kept in power by the DUP.

The only meaningful Westminster comparison however would be a minority Tory (or Labour) government propped up by a confidence and supply deal with the Labour (or Tory) opposition.

Neil McCarthy, a teacher and writer based in Dublin and LondonNeil McCarthy, a teacher and writer based in Dublin and London
Neil McCarthy, a teacher and writer based in Dublin and London

Hell will freeze over before that happens.

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The game of British politics would be up, and, as the old wisecrack goes, voting would be a waste of time because the government would always be returned.

There is a place on this island of course where it could indeed be argued that voting is a waste of time and the government is always returned.

In Northern Ireland the system is structured so that every executive will be headed up by the same two parties no matter how the people vote, unless and until the DUP and Sinn Féin are dislodged as the commanding parties in their respective communities, something which does not look like as if it is going to happen any day soon.

The justification usually given for this state of affairs is that this is one of the painful but necessary compromises which have halted 30 years of communal slaughter.

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It is also true that every Northern Ireland election is effectively two elections, one within the nationalist community and one within the unionist community, and that in these separate and contemporaneous elections, the communities concerned do have real choice.

The one parliamentary representative in Northern Ireland who rails against this system is Jim Allister.

He alone declares the Emperor to have no clothes on.

The Republic of Ireland, in contrast to Northern Ireland, has traditionally had one national community, one demos.

It is hardly surprising therefore that a substantial section of the electorate in the Republic has just decided that they want their traditional game of Westminster style politics back.

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In order to get it back they have decided that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have now morphed into one tribe.

They have therefore sought out another tribe for whom this new combined tribe have a visceral loathing.