Politics

Arising out of the Late Late Show discussion on politicians and the state of the nation, a number of specific proposals have been made which deserve to be outlined in more detail.

Private eye Sam Wall stumbles through the political chaos of 1982

The Fianna Fail leader is immobilized on his front bench on policy and on the future of his party. Like an arthritic vulture he sits poised on the opposition benches waiting for government to fall down dead. By Olivia O'Leary.

Only seven of the 15 seats which Labour currently holds can be deemed safe; These are Dublin Central (Michael O'leary), Dun Laoghaire (Barry Desmond), Meath (Jimmy Tully), Kildare (Joe Bermingham), Tipperary South (Sean Treacy), Cork North Central (Toddy O'Sullivan) and Cork South Central (Eileen Desmond) .

The party of James Connolly and Jim Larkin is facing its most serious crisis in its almost 70 years history.By Vincent Browne

It was in the early 'sixties that Professor Paddy Lynch and the late George O'Brien first started to talk about Garret FitzGerald being Taoiseach some day - he hadn't even entered politics then. For almost twenty years many people have regarded it as an inevitability that Garret would one day. lead-this country and it was a prospect that was much desired by his many friends who admired his intellect, his integrity, his energy, his dedication .and his innate "goodness" . By Vincent Browne

Charlie Haughey has been of the belief in recent months, we understand, that the election could be run and won on a one issue platform - the one issue being the Northern Ireland question. This proves, once again, that politicians never learn anything from past experience. Jack Lynch tried that one on in 1973 and came a cropper as prices and jobs took over as the main themes of the campaign after the first week.

Garret FitzGerald interviewed by Vincent Browne

Magill: I remember  a conversation I had with you in 1967  at a  dinner given by Liam Cosgrave in the Gresham for Fine Gael's education policy committee in which you said that your primary objective would be, if you ever became Taoiseach, a redistribution of wealth. Is this still your objective?

One of the central issues in the forthcoming general election campaign will be the management of the economy by Fianna Fail. This debate has already begun in Magill with a review by UCD, economist Paddy Geary, which concluded that the strategy was reckless and certain to lead to balance of payments difficulties and huge foreign borrowing. The author of this strategy, Martin O'Donoghue, defended the policy in the last issue of Magill, pointing out that nobody else came up with an alternative proposal on how to deal with the mammoth employment creation problem.

Following the unexpected hammering which Labour received in the 1977 general election, the party got itself a new leader and continued as if nothing had happened. The few measures taken to inspire confidence for the future proved lacking and finance remains a big problem. The seats of two deputies of long standing, Dan Spring and Michael Pat Murphy, who are retiring, may not remain with Labour and there is a general lack of confidence in the party's election strategy.