As we approach close to half-way through this Dáil term, parties and independents are well underway in preparing for the next general election. Why anybody wants to go into politics I’ll never know.

But, credit where it’s due to those people who are willing to put their name on the ballot paper. I once asked a TD about relations with those in Parliament of a completely polar political view. He said despite the bitter debate, there is generally a mutual cross-Chamber respect, that they are equals, all elected by the people democratically.

I am often asked what a particular politician is like in real life. In fairness, the ones I have interviewed are courteous and very pleasant to deal with

And over the years whilst presenting various politics programmes, there are very few I could say I disliked.

I am often asked what a particular politician is like in real life. In fairness, the ones I have interviewed are courteous and very pleasant to deal with. They have a job to do representing the people who voted for them but behind the public persona, in general they are different people. I remember presenting a programme in which there was an almighty row. We went to the ad break. During it, relative peace broke out as the politicians politely nagged each other. If you had been listening you may have feared that a full-scale riot was going to break out in studio instead.

But if I’m to be cynical in this social media age, if you are going to go into local, national or European politics, the best way of carving out a career is to make sure you find a place where you’ll never have to govern.

A bit like the Premier League manager who never wins anything but makes a killing in compensations from being repeatedly sacked, if you can get elected election after election with little chance of ever being in Government or at least pretending that you want to but know you won’t, then it seems to be a very lucrative career indeed.

Democracy requires an alternative view and governments need to be held to account by opposition politicians, but if you can find yourself being that alternative view in permanent opposition, you’ll have to work hard of course, still it must be a very cushy place to be.

In the modern sound bite world of unpopular governments, it has to be easier to be an opposition politician

It’s hard to agree with Mary Harney’s assertion that your worst day in Government is better than your best day in opposition. In the modern sound bite world of unpopular governments, it has to be easier to be an opposition politician. And indeed if you look at Twitter, it is the perfect stage to stir it up and win votes.

As we approach the next election, there is a dilemma for politicians that feel there is a chance they may be part of the next Government. Once in power, there is the sudden realisation the easiest place to be is in opposition knowing populist calls simply cannot be delivered as easily as they’d like the public to believe.

When in opposition, if there is a popular move going to be made by Government, make sure you know about it a day in advance so you can call for it

And have you ever noticed that when a popular Government decision is made which cannot be criticised from opposition benches, that the tactic is to claim the Government only acted in response to opposition pressure to do so? When in opposition, if there is a popular move going to be made by Government, make sure you know about it a day in advance so you can call for it. How the electorate don’t see through some of this crafty populism is mind boggling.

Still that said, we should respect politicians rather than vilify them. Those that slag off politicians of any shade should be asked how their own election campaign is fairing, me included!

Before the gun

Scarlet for Dublin Airport Authority’s April Fool’s Day yarn (proposing a fee for dropping people off at the airport which doesn’t have a train/metro connection) was leaked a few weeks early!