Ivan Yates: How to get a cheap vote by exploiting family grief

Close up Red POLITICAL CORRUPTION Text at the Center of Word Tag Cloud on White Background.
Close up Red POLITICAL CORRUPTION Text at the Center of Word Tag Cloud on White Background.

By Anthony Sheridan

Is former Fine Gael minister Ivan Yates a master of cynicism or has his principles and integrity been seriously damaged by his involvement in the corrupt culture of Irish politics?

I suspect it’s the latter.

Writing in yesterday’s Irish Independent Yates tells us that this election provides an opportunity to get rid of gobdaws from Irish politics.

We don’t need more gobdaws from Ballymagash blathering a torrent of parochial nonsense.

He goes on:

Given that standards in all professions are rising, politicians should not get a free pass. Let’s hope the 32nd Dáil comprises bright, smart people – and is devoid of cute hoors. We must separate the opportunist attention-seekers with an eye on a lucrative job, and people of genuine integrity whose aim is honourable public service.

Then, right beneath the words ‘people of genuine integrity whose aim is honourable public service’, Yates writes another article entitled:

Brass-neck survival guide for canvassers

Here Yates outlines in lurid detail how candidates and their supporters should lie, distort, abuse, fabricate and misrepresent themselves in order to get an opportunity to ‘provide honourable public service with genuine integrity’.

One particularly obnoxious piece of advice goes:

Be aware of any recent bereavement involving householders or the extended family – if your candidate attended the funeral, you may be in luck.

What level of depravity does a person have to sink to where they believe a traumatic family death is a ‘lucky’ opportunity for a cheap vote?

Copy to:
Ivan Yates

2 thoughts on “Ivan Yates: How to get a cheap vote by exploiting family grief”

  1. You’re bang on as usual Anthony. I enjoy checking in with your blog several times a week. Although I am always shocked when you shine a light on examples of the pervasive culture of corruption in Irish political life which has unfortunately infected Irish public and professional organisations you still manage to make me laugh. Lol as they say. Thanks for that Anthony.

  2. Thank you for the support and kind comments Roisin. As for the laughter…sure wouldn’t we go mad without it….

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