John Downing: Get ready to be bribed with your own money as the competition for votes intensifies
Once, years ago, I met an agriculture minister in the grounds of Leinster House and took the opportunity to ask about the opposition’s allegations that he was frontloading farm grants to “buy votes” in advance of local and European Parliament elections.
He laughed heartily, winked and said: “Ah no, – we were thinking of keeping back the money until we got the election out of the way. Now, can I do anything else for you today?”
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