Fine Gael surge in opinion polls with three point 'Simon spring' after Leo Varadkar replaced as leader | 94J0BCN | 2024-04-24 00:08:01
FINE Gael has received a three point 'Simon spring' in the opinion polls following the changeover of Taoiseach.
Leo Varadkar's decision to step down and the election of Simon Harris to replace him as Taoiseach has given Fine Gael a boost in the polls.
The latest survey published in the Sunday Times shows Fine Gael have increased in popularity from 17 per cent in March up to 20 per cent.
The bounce in popularity comes after Simon Harris's first full week as Taoiseach.
Despite this, Sinn Fein remain way out in front as the most popular party in the country at 27 per cent – a one per cent increase on their position in March.
It appears that Simon Harris's popularity is winning voters over from the Social Democrats who have slumped to four per cent in the latest poll – down three points on last month.
Fianna Fail remain unchanged at 16 per cent – a stat that will concern the party as they received no bounce following the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis.
This is despite the party hitting the headlines during their conference for making big budget promises including a €10 increase to the child benefit and a €12 hike in the pension.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has hit out at his coalition partners for making Budget promises to the public that they may not be able to keep.
He told Micheal Martin at the weekly leaders' meeting last Monday after the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis that he's "spent about €2bn over the weekend".
Asked about this on RTE's The Week In Politics, the Green leader said: "I think the electorate are a bit cynical of all sorts of promises six months before an election.
"We need to wait until October because we will know then better what the circumstances are but one thing we do know for certain in the budget for October because it's been the same for the last four budgets under this government – it will be progressive.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> "It will protect those on lowest incomes most. We've been able to do that on every single budget day shown by independent analyses that the lowest income category families are the ones who benefit the most."
The Greens have experienced a small increase in their popularity – up one point in the latest poll to six per cent.
Labour remains unchanged at five percent, People Before Profit are unchanged at three per cent while Peadar Toibin's Aontu has dropped one point to three per cent.
Independent TDs and other parties remain popular at 16 per cent – down one per cent on the last survey in March.
More >> https://ift.tt/CT0sfek Source: MAG NEWS