LABOUR PLAY-ACTING OVER FINE GAEL

The Labour Party worked happily with Fine Gael for four years but has suddenly discovered that they are a party for the rich. Joan Burton has started to warn about a ‘lack of balance’ if Fine Gael started to rule alone.

In a statement Cllr Brid Smith said,‘Labour is acting like a second-hand dealer of dodgy cars. In 2011, they won votes on a promise that they would restrain Fine Gael. And they are trying the same trick again.‘But once the votes were counted after 2011 Labour dropped all talk of restraining FG and acted as their collaborator. Labour warned that Fine Gael would introduce water charges – but then voted for them.

‘They said Fine Gael would cut child benefit by €252. But when they came into office child benefit was paid at the rate of €147 for the third child and €177 for the fourth child. Despite the recent budget increase, these families are still €27 and €37 worse off a month because of this government.

‘Labour claimed that Fine Gael would hike car tax by €50. They then voted for increases that pushed up car tax by an average of 15 percent.

‘They even said that Fine Gael would add €1 to the bottle of wine – and then went along with Varadkar’s plan to do just that.

‘Labour was only play acting in 2011 and they are trying the same trick twice. But as the old phrase goes ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me’.

‘We think the electorate will not be fooled by these antics.’