Is switching sides now standard fare? Much of the electorate seems fluid on the political spectrum

As votes were counted, it became apparent that transfers did not follow the usual rules of where people identify on the political spectrum. Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne

Senan Molony

This is the set of elections when experts may look back and say much of the public went fluid on their political preferences. Transfers were pinging all over the place, not following the usual rules of where a person self-identifies on the political spectrum.

Perhaps it is a natural consequence of the breakdown of the traditional Civil War split in Irish politics, with two monolithic parties and a Labour rump. Time was when the electorate had to decide between Fine Gael/Labour and Fianna Fáil as to who to put into power. And Fine Gael/Labour coalitions were always inherently unstable because one party effectively represented wealth and the employer; the other the workers.