The Government parties’ minor drop in the poll is not surprising, considering Budget 2024 had no “wow factor” that would inspire people to support them.
That’s according to broadcaster Matt Cooper following the latest Business Post/Red C poll showing continued support for Sinn Féin.
Some 32% of people said they would vote for Sinn Féin in a general election, a 1% increase for the party since the last poll.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael had 20% and Fianna Fáil has 15%, a 1% drop each.
Anton Savage noted Sinn Féin nearly have the same level as support as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil put together.
Unique Media founder Breda Brown said these poll results were surprising for the €14 billion package in Budget 2024, but Mr Cooper said no one should be surprised.
“Why would they have expected a budget bounce?” he told The Anton Savage Show.
“Last year they gave away €11 billion, and it did nothing for their opinion poll ratings at the time.
“This year they put out €14 billion - yes, 3 billion more - but there was no headline in the actual Budget.
“There was a whole series of a whole lot of different things adding up, which didn't actually create a wow factor.”
USC
The poll also showed one in four voters feel the cuts to the universal social charge (USC) in this month’s free-spending budget went far enough.
Mr Cooper said USC was introduced a “temporary measure” that would be rescinded as the economy improves.
“The economy has recovered spectacularly to the extent that we're talking about surpluses of €45 billion plus over the next three years,” he said.
“Yet that tax burden has been barely reduced on people - there was a reduction in one rate of the USC from 4.5% to 4%.”
Pearse Doherty with Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O Neill and Conor Murphy before the start of their Ard Fheis. Photo by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ieMs Brown said the “political landscape has changed quite dramatically” in recent years.
“We can see the writings on the wall in terms of where we're going with it with the next election coming down the track,” she said.
Former Minister Ivan Yates previously predicted Sinn Féin would win enough seats to form a single-party government in the next election.
Mr Cooper said Mr Yates hasn’t always been accurate.
“He said Fianna Fáil were going to win 60 seats in the last election,” he said. “They got nowhere near as much.
“The last general election outcome was something that nobody foresaw - You never know what's going to happen.”
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