I’ve given up writing up every poll that comes out, but this is interesting for two reasons. One Fine Gael is clearly rallying. And two, the Labour party may not be as dead in the water as some its critics believe. 10% is poor, but it’s only two points below the 12%-14% corridor it was in before the Gilmore Gale.
SBP RedC Poll : Fine Gael up 3% (28%), Labour up 2% (10%), Fianna Fáil NC (18%), Sinn Féin down 2% (16%), Independents down 3% (28%).
— Tommy English (@T0mmyEnglish) September 12, 2015
The stability (give us another chance to set up the recovery) message may be working. The good news may be in the timing here, since this is still firmly in the pre budget period.
The SF total is within the margin of error, so not too much to extrapolate against the latest news from NI. But it is worth noting that their 16% is well below the more healthy 19-22% slot it was hitting before the summer.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty