Back in August I predicted that the arguments over scrapping the Groceries Order would, as I somewhat grandiosely put it, expose "potential ideological faultlines" between the government parties. There was a reasonable basis to this assumption; after all elements within FF were adamant in their opposition and the PDs were for it as good free market liberals. I wrongly predicted that the vested interests that had colonised parts of FF would bring about a classic fudge. Micheál Martin also seemed to be leaning in that direction.
But that was before Eddie. Now the Groceries Order is history and there wasn't a murmur from the FF back benches. Suddenly putting consumers first was seen to be the key to recovery at the polls. Being unencumbered by ideological baggage and not being rigidly attached to particular vested interests help Fianna Fáil to be able to re-invent itself from time to time and this is one of the reasons why the party is so electorally successful.
An apposite remark once made by the astute British political journalist Edward Pearce came to mind. Pearce reminded his readers that the Tory Party was always known as "the stupid party" but nevertheless they were "biologically cunning". I believe this remark applies, a fortiori, to Fianna Fáil.
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