Brendan Howlin makes overtures towards Greens and Social Democrats in final leaders' debate
The Labour leader Brendan Howlin says it’s important to have a critical mass of left parties after Saturday’s general election.
Brendan Howlin also said he would love to sit down with the Green Party and the Social Democrats next week to hammer out a “progressive agenda” to respond to crucial issues such as health and climate change.
He made his comments during the last leaders’ debate of the general election campaign tonight which featured Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall, Ruth Coppinger of Solidarity-People Before Profit and Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.
#BreakTheCycle #rtept #GE2020#VoteWallace1 #VotePBP #TransferLeft pic.twitter.com/gICqkCPWBA
— Cllr Adrienne Wallace PBP (@AdriennePBPA) February 6, 2020
The leaders of the smaller political parties which could be king-makers in talks to form the next government made their final pitches for votes during the Prime Time debate during which they outlined their plans to tackle the climate crisis, to deliver affordable housing and fix the health crisis.
Free public transport and the introduction of a four-day working week were among the pledges made.
Mr Ryan suggested it is possible to have a bus from every town and village in Ireland given the wealth in the country, with Mr Tóibín saying Aontú would look at decreasing the cost of the tickets while also increasing capacity.
Refusing to take action is no longer an option. @eamonryan establishes that ambition on climate change and biodiversity loss is a red line issue for the Green Party.#WantGreenVoteGreen #RTELeadersDebate #RTEPT #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/XU8mMFHGDq
— Green Party Ireland (@greenparty_ie) February 6, 2020
But Ms Coppinger went a step further and said her party, if in government, would bring in free public transport.
She was pressed for specifics on her party’s manifesto suggestion of nationalising the construction industry but she said it would only apply to large construction companies.
Mr Howlin said he wanted to be straight with the electorate and not make promises that couldn’t be delivered, while at the same time ending the waste of public money.
We will end the waste of public money and build homes and fix health.
— The Labour Party (@labour) February 6, 2020
We are not promising big tax giveaways which won’t fix the biggest crises we face in Ireland. #rtept #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/zvGnhCufNJ
Ms Shortall agreed largely with Mr Howlin’s stance on the Slaintecare strategy but she stopped short of answering a question of whether she was prepared to rejoin the Labour fold.
She says it’s great that parties are signed up to the health strategy but said parties need to put their money where their mouths are.
Mr Tóibín said if people vote in large numbers for Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin this weekend, circumstances could arise that would put Fine Gael back into government.
And he said people would feel cheated if they saw Simon Harris or Eoghan Murphy back at the cabinet table after the election.
Aontú in government will introduce a tax on banks' profits.
— Aontú (@AontuIE) February 6, 2020
Vótáil Aontú #1 #RTEpt #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/ZauPxnYWrB
Meanwhile, RTÉ will publish the results of an exit poll on Saturday night.
The Ipsos/MRBI Exit Poll, commissioned by RTÉ, The Irish Times, TG4, and University College Dublin, will be published simultaneously by RTÉ and The Irish Times at 10pm.
Following an interview with about 5,000 people after they’ve voted, the results of this opinion poll are set to give the earliest reflection of voting patterns.
