Irish governing coalitions are notorious brittle… There are fragments of former Fianna Fail deputies from the last government still hanging on to their independent status (which is one reason we know FF are still a long way off their former glories). But the news that Patrick Nulty (who took Brian Lenihan’s Dublin West seat at the bye election in October 2011) is leaving the Labour party does nothing to allay the impression that the party is fracturing under the pressure.
Nulty’s success in that by-election coincided with the party’s last poll rating over anything around the 20% mark.. right now not only are several TDs (including the party’s chairman) not taking the parliamentary whip, but it’s languishing dangerous at 10% and less in current polling…
Chairman of Wicklow County Council Tom Fortune and Wicklow councillor Barry Nevin are to leave with him…
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
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