[Politics] Election for 25 February 2011, Carey is transport minister for now

[Thomas J Stamp]

We had an election forum last GE would be interesting to have one now.

My recollection at the end of the process last time was that the transport issue, and rail specificly, was not a vote gainer/loser in the commuter belt or the cities, but was an important isse in the west, due to the presence of WoT and others.

I had honestly expected the transport/commuter issue to be a vote winner for Labour but in the end it was not to be.

Now we have a real chance of a Labour Minister for Transport by the end of March so it will be interesting to see what they do.

If I was in FG or Labour I would have a meeting of party leaders and their respective full time party HQ officers/Stratigists and I would in effect thrash out what departments are going to whom for definite after the election and then give almost free reign to say, Labour, on that basis vis a vis Transport, Social Welfare, Health in its manifesto and to come as close as possible to FG in the other departments, and vice-versa.

At least then we can have a clearer view of what they are about. Given that T21 is dead as a duck and that IE are hiding in a bunker fearing their heads will be shot off its time for a blank sheet and something new and different.