SDLP's second-hand spin doctors

A Cháirde,

It is interesting to examine who the SDLP have recruited in an attempt to prevent falling further behind Sinn Féin in the upcoming Assembly election. They have enlisted spin doctors and other election experts from the two most right wing parties in the south, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats. These are people who were central to the re-election of the Fianna Fáil/PD coalition at the last general election, an election which saw many promises and pledges being made by these parties and their spin doctors, only to be broken once re-elected.

The vast majority of people in the 26 Counties now accept that they were sold a tissue of lies during this campaign, including promises of 'no cutbacks' in essential public services that were discarded once the election was over. We were promised that the crisis in the health service would be ended, that waiting lists would be a thing of the past. Yet, the crisis in the health service is worse than ever, they admit that waiting lists will not be cleared and many areas have seen a serious run-down in their hospitals and emergency services.

The people recruited by the SDLP were central to this campaign.

The SDLP have also recruited spin doctors from the British Labour party, the people that told us that Iraq was 'awash with weapons of mass destruction'. This too has been shown to be totally untrue and an example of spin-doctoring at its worst. Yet this seems to be what the SDLP are now offering the electorate in the Six Counties. Considering that what these people 'spun' us about 'no cutbacks' and 'weapons of mass destruction' turned out to be completely untrue, why should we believe anything that emanates from them on behalf of the SDLP?

Finally, I must say that having to recruit people to run your election from another country, Britain, and from other political parties, indicates a lack of confidence within the SDLP of their prospects in the coming election and an appalling lack of ability within their own party.

Has it really descended to this?

Gerry Casey

Maugheraboy , Sligo

O'Rourke rubs salt in housing wound

A Cháirde,

I see that Fianna Fáil's Mary O'Rourke is to appear on a new television show 'The House of Love'. Apparently, O'Rourke is to form part of a three-person panel on the programme, which will see eight couples battle it out for the prize of a €200,000 'dream home' in Mullingar. Significantly, a dream home in Dublin isn't up for grabs. This probably has something to do with the €500,000 price tag that would be attached to it.

The thought of a woman - whose party has done more than any other in the history of the state to scupper young couples' chances of getting on the property ladder - watching eight of them fight it out for a home, is enough to make your stomach turn.

Could this show be the result of a private government joke?

Fianna Fáil have made it impossible for young people in the South, particularly in Dublin, to have a hope of buying their own homes. Their absolute failure to curb escalating house prices means that the average price of a house in Dublin is now around €300,000 and €220,000 outside the capital. The average wage, however, is staying around the €21,000 per year mark and interest rates on mortgages are rising. And the government is not interested in helping. Last year, it abolished the small, but vital, first-time buyer's grant.

Thanks to Mary O'Rourke's party, we are now one of the most expensive countries in the world for property, so we'll be needing more than one free house from a gameshow to rectify the situation.

What could possibly be next from Fianna Fáil's party members - Míchéal Martin hosting a show that sees terminally ill patients competing for the luxury of a hospital bed?

Noreen O'Brien,

Rathgar, Dublin