Progressive Democrats to disband

The right wing minority party within the Irish Government, the Progressive Democrats have voted to disband. The party made it’s decision after a day long conference in Mullingar to decide the party’s future. The party had suffered a heavy defeat in the 2007 General Election and held just 2 of it’s 8 seats. The party leader, Deputy Leader and President each lost their seats and the only surviving members were a former leader Mary Harney who made it clear that she did not want to return to the job of leader and a back bench deputy, Noel Grealish. The party limped back into government and was lead by Senator Ciaran Cannon a little known politician from a rural constituency. The party’s main support base was within urban middle class and professional groups and it was widely unpopular as it was perceived as being pro business and anti-equality. The party was socially liberal and espoused free market economics.

Mary Harney had called for welfare cuts to single mothers in 1997 and was strongly supportive of allowing private hospitals to be built on public lands as Health Minister. The party formed in 1985 by Des O’Malley when he split from the main government party Fianna Fail. The early policies were for tax cuts for the better off, and a reduction in public spending as well as privitisation of the Irish economy. In 1989 he spectacularly entered government with Fianna Fail and soon a the new government sold off the national sugar company and the national shipping line B&1. The party left government after O’Malley was called a liar by his Taoiseach Albert Reynolds in 1992. When the e-entered government in 1997 the new leader Mary Harney proved very successful as she had a strong ally with the Finance minister Charlie McCreevyCharlie McCreevy. This government cut taxes and drove a property boom that has spectacularly collapsed in recent months.

Harney took a political gamble that failed about 4 years ago when she ave up her Enterprise portfolio to take over at health. Here she floundered as she failed to cope with the reality of dealing with a ministry involving people and a public service. She created a bureaucracy (HSE) to administer the health service so as to remove political responsibility from the chaos. However recent misdiagnosis of cancers as well as overspends on a computer system have brought morale at her ministry to an all time low. 2 of the 4 remaining parliamentarians are expected to joining Fianna Fail while Harney is expected to stay for a while as an independent member of the government. The disbandment is not expected to impact on the stability of the Cowen led government