Richard Colwell: No budget bounce for coalition as SF’s climb continues

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have lost ground to Mary Lou McDonald’s party, which now sits on 33 per cent as the national divide grows between haves and have-nots

Micheal Martin, Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, Leo Varadkar,.Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader, and Eamon Ryan, the Environment Minister and Green Party leader: Instead of garnering the support of the electorate for the coalition parties, the budget appears to have triggered further growth in the popularity of Sinn Féin, the lead opposition party. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

The government parties will have been hoping for a reaction to their budget a week ago, but this is unlikely to be it.

Instead of garnering the support of the electorate for the coalition parties, it appears to have triggered further growth in the popularity of Sinn Féin, the lead opposition party. Mary Lou McDonald’s party surges forward again in today's Business Post/Red C poll, securing 33 per cent of the first preference vote, an ...