Fianna Fáil planning a change of direction and image to ensure its long-term survival

Monday, 22 August 2011 12:33

Written by Tom Kelly

lisa_chambersTHE Fianna Fáil party in Mayo is poised to undergo a major transformation in advance of the 2014 local elections, The Connaught Telegraph can reveal.

A complete reappraisal of the organisation’s membership and structures, as well as how it is perceived by the public, has got underway.

The appointment of general election candidate Lisa Chambers as the area organiser in Mayo represented a clear hint of what’s coming down the line.

But the inevitable shake-up to personnel and leadership will be accompanied by key changes to outlook, philosophy and image.

The survival of Fianna Fáil is at stake and it will not happen without a radical overhaul involving the building of new and vibrant foundations.

Out goes the old guard and all those associated with the arrogance and transgressions. In comes a return to basics with bright, young minds spearheading change for the better.

Irrespective of its rapid decline in Mayo over the past 10 to 12 years, Fianna Fáil is currently the second most popular party in the county, albeit a long away behind a Fine Gael party which is enjoying unprecedented popularity.

While the disparity between those who voted for the two main parties in Mayo in last February’s general election will forever be a source to torment to FF followers, they must form the basis on which a recovery is initiated.

A total of 48,170 members of the electorate gave their first preference votes to the four Fine Gael candidates in the field and only 11,920 did so in respect of the two Fianna Fáil contenders, a difference of 36,259.

Despite their unparalleled difficulties, more Mayo people still placed their faith in Fianna Fail than they did for the Labour Party, Sinn Féin or non-party candidates.

The five Independent candidates received a total of 5,352 first preference votes, the two SF runners got 4,802 between them while the sole Labour Party contender (Dr. Jerry Cowley) attracted 3,644.

DEFLATED

Fianna Fáil’s embarrassment must surely have been tempered with relief that the party did not slip further down the rankings. But that fact, in itself, should provide a deflated organisation with a sense of hope.

Party leader Micheál Martin is scheduled to visit Mayo next month to meet elected representatives and senior party officials.

He is planning to hold a lengthy question and answer session with them to firmly establish what direction the organisation needs to take in the county before the next local elections.

Some progress has already been made by the Mayo FF renewal committee under the chairmanship of Sean Staunton. The group consists of 35 members and is supported by four sub-committees.

Deputy Dara Calleary said he had immense faith in the work the committee is carrying out.

“There is a determination and motivation by members to revive the party’s fortunes and it is accepted it will require a lot of hard work. I am confident the changes being made will help us to win at least three additional seats in the next Mayo County Council elections,” he stated.

In an ongoing debate on the informative politicalreform.ie website, a number of observers are optimistic that Fianna Fáil has a future despite its present predicament.

In a recent stock take of political parties in a number of the world’s democracies, contributor David Farrell found compelling evidence of the adaptive capability of political parties.

He observed: “There are parties that come and go all the time, but the larger, more established parties, seem to stay the course for the most part.

“One main reason for this is because they successfully tack and change to meet the prevailing electoral winds.

“The sorts of discussions that the Fianna Fáil leadership are currently having suggest that they are well aware of the need to do this.”

Another contributor, Paul Hunt, made the point that Fianna Fail polled almost 400,000 first preferences in the last general election, not far behind the Labour Party’s total and a little over half of Fine Gael’s total.

“The gap would not have been as wide were it not for the fact that a large number of voters, in addition to switching their first preferences, altered their patterns of lower preference allocations to give FF a thorough kicking.

“A slightly higher share of first preferences and a more traditional pattern of lower preference allocation could easily have been reflected in a net 11-seat allocation between FG and FF which would have generated seat totals more proportional to their first preference totals.

“In addition, FF remains organised on a national basis. This provides a strong spring board.”

Hunt quoted the comments of ‘a perceptive observer on another website’.

It read: “FF committed an error of competence and hubris. They thought they were using the developers for campaign funds and keeping employment high which all led to votes, but the bankers were using them both. They also thought they and their civil servants were smarter than they were. They believed their own publicity.

PRINCIPLES

“However, the principles which attract many to FF are still there. National solidarity, social justice, nationalism and commitment to equal opportunity, a commitment to community and a commitment to the welfare of the less well-off.

“They are still core principles for the party and a lot of its supporters. FF made a major blunder which has had severe consequences but they have done a lot right since disaster struck.

“FF’s determination to improve infrastructure and community facilities means that, even if the bubble was a disaster, we are not left empty handed. There has also been a welcome equalisation of society over the last number of years.

“FF is not responsible for all our woes as we would have been in a difficult position anyway. But FF did make serious errors and deserve a strong dose of medicine.

“However, if the FF party is properly reformed and is frank about the problems which beset it, then I think that it can recover to make a valuable contribution. In particular, I expect a new generation with new ideas to take the tiller. If there isn’t reform or the old-guard hangs in, then I expect FF to wither.”

Hunt broadly concurred with the views, but expressed concern over the party’s ‘hunger for power’.

“The hunger for power is in the party’s DNA. Its track record of acquiring and retaining power at all costs is probably better than that of the original ‘stupid party’, the UK Tories.

“In addition, FF’s emergence deprived Irish politics of the opportunity to develop two competing power blocs reflecting contesting views on where the boundaries of the state should lie.

“This is generally how politics is organised and conducted in most other mature developed democracies. Ireland has suffered as a result and a resurrection by FF could postpone this necessary re-alignment.

“The principal question is whether its almost inevitable resurrection will be characterised by opportunism or principle. The recent history of the party, regrettably, suggests the former.”

Fascinating points and ones that all supporters of the party in Mayo and beyond must strongly consider in shaping a new future.