Is Waterford gearing up to say goodbye to its sitting ministers?
Sinn Féin TDs David Cullinane and Conor McGuinness celebrating after their success in the 2024 general election.
We are a year and some change into the current national political cycle and the hot button topics have not changed to any great extent during the last three go-arounds. We know exactly what the issues are and they are never-ending, unyielding, and draining.
In times of such desolation, one can't help but conduct thought exercises to see what avenues can be taken to usher in some breathing room before the ever-growing likelihood of global recession.
This exercise had me questioning the next general election in Waterford, as some recent calls to action regarding the defunding of SNA essential services for people in our communities spurred this on.
The Waterford battlefield, therefore, pits government representatives against opposition, which highlights the following - what would an election next month hold for Waterford, and is Waterford a good barometer for national politics?
It’s my opinion that, for better or worse, Sinn Fein could win three seats here as a recent Phoenix article published on February 21 has highlighted how both ministers of state are representative of constant failure to deliver for Waterford, even though they would spin it as not being true.
However, opposition will play politics and take this balanced and fair assessment to rake the former over the coals. This could see either one or both ministers lose a seat in favour of a third Sinn Fein seat and an independent one.
We then enter into the catch-22 of collectively removing ourselves from receiving anything at all or succumbing to the growing perspective that we won't get anything anyway.
This is where those that matter most in a democracy are to make that decision - the voter. The Waterford voter base is split between the minority of dogmatic one-party-only households and the growing majority of fluid voter, that vote on delivery to the level it was promised.
Who we elect is a true reflection of how different counties will vote that have similar issues rooted in neglect from propagated centralisation policies post-2011. We are, therefore, a barometer of political leaning and must be taken more seriously by government, as our fluid voters hold no loyalties anymore and vote for those that give them hope.
This leaves a final question for Waterford: is there any person to step into the arena and save face for the government parties in Waterford, or is an opposition clean sweep on its way?
