Madam, - Many commentators have asserted that the reason for Fine Gael's dismal electoral performances in recent decades is that the party lacks a coherent ideology to distinguish itself from Fianna Fáil.
However, Fianna Fáil has managed to become the most successful party in the democratic world (having overtaken the level of dominance of both the Swedish Social Democrats and Revolutionary Party of Mexico) without demonstrating any ideological coherence itself.
There are a number of more practical reasons for why Fine Gael has constantly underperformed. Firstly, our PR-STV electoral system (which is replicated only in Malta), allows electoral competition to focus on local issues, on which Fianna Fáil has been highly successful in using its stock of public representatives to promote the party's profile.
Secondly, Fianna Fáil's initial abstention from parliamentary activity allowed a period of organisational development without the distraction of being part of a government.
Thirdly, the country's homogeneous social structure (there appears to be very limited urban-rural electoral divide) reduces the scope for ideological politics.
Finally, the possibility that the culture of feckless roguery that dominates in Fianna Fáil causes members to be far better craic than their Fine Gael counterparts should not be overlooked. - Yours, etc,
CONAL CAMPBELL,
Trinity College,
Dublin 2.