Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael/Labour singing from same hymnsheet – Ó Caoláin

Sinn Fein Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain has said that the real choice in the General Election is between the economic alternative offered by Sinn Féin and the strategy now in place to which Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens have signed up.

He said Mícheál Martin and Brian Cowen were offering support for a minority Fine Gael government or a Fine Gael/Labour coalition if they carried out the policies put in place by the outgoing Government.

Ó Caoláin said:

“Both Mícheál Martin and Brian Cowen have agreed that Fianna Fáil in opposition would adopt a ‘Tallaght strategy’ type approach and back a Government that implements the economic policy put in place by the outgoing Government. This is not surprising – it would be merely doing what Fine Gael and Labour did by backing the economic strategy behind the four-year plan, Budget 2011 and the IMF/EU deal.

“Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens are singing from the same hymnsheet. Mícheál Martin’s willingness to support a minority Fine Gael Government shows how close the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties are in policy. The pity is that the Labour Party, in tying itself to Fine Gael, has prevented the coming together of the two conservative parties and the emergence of a broad left alternative.

“The real choice in the General Election is between the economic alternative offered by Sinn Féin and the failed strategy to which the other four parties have committed themselves.” ENDS