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What's the Betting?
In 1982 the then Irish Minister for Finance John Bruton failed to get his budget through the Dáil, which in turn led to the fall of the Fine Gael - Labour Coalition Government. A single item in a budget vote brought down a government.
That budget aimed to put 18% VAT on children’s shoes and was defeated. The people were incensed and that led to independent members of the Irish Parliament voting against the government, thus defeating the motion. The people's dissatisfaction and anger brought down the government!
Could it happen again?
Breaking news has the current Coalition Government planning to put an EU Treaty Referendum before the people this summer. They say they are confident of winning this vote. I however would not be placing any large bets on there being a YES vote.
The Irish people might be generally in favour of the EU Treaty. However, they are greatly angered by the essentially inequitable poll tax AKA "household charge", the increase in VAT, the reduction in earnings, and the major cutbacks in education, health, everything except TDs wages and expenses, and they may well give vent to their anger by returning a NO vote.
Could history repeat itself? Interesting times ahead!
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