"grocery stores"

Mi rigardus!

I'm not saying I have the answers, but I haven't seen anyone propose a strategy for the Left other than 'avoid Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael and hope that our vote will grow while in opposition.'

I don't think repeating the same strategy and hoping for a different result is good enough.

What good is it to tell someone struggling to pay rent that at least the Social Democrats keep their ideological purity by staying opposition?

'Sure things are hard now, but just wait 10-20 year and maybe then the Left will be strong enough to win power.'

If there is no left wing government around the corner, then it seems reasonable to enter a coalition to get the best that you can for your voters.

Remaining in opposition might be good for winning votes, but how does it help people struggling to find accommodation?

But then their popularity collapsed.

In 2020, SF, GP, LAB, SD & PBP gained 41.5% of the vote.

In 2024, they received 34%.

There are plenty of people who think the Left should remain in opposition and keep focusing on housing and eventually they will win enough votes to form a government.

This seemed like a good strategy after 2020, as there was a feeling that it was only a matter of time before Sinn Féin would win

Remember during the austerity years when people insisted FF/FG were doing austerity for purely ideological reasons? SF even had posters warning of a generation of public service cutbacks.

At the time I believed it, but once the budget was balanced, the cuts and privatisatons ended.