Politicians are advised early in their careers of an important dictum: never say never. As servants of the people, they may propose the initiation of schemes, alterations to established practices or the creation of new political alliances. But the electorate is the ultimate arbiter. Because of that, their ability to respond to changed circumstances is of crucial importance.
This dictum applies to the Labour Party leader, Pat Rabbitte, today. He wants a full change of government with the formal, pre-election pact which he is offering with the Fine Gael party. There is no doubt that he wants to get rid of Fianna Fáil and their Progressive Democrats partners. He is offering an alternative coalition and maximising the chances that that will happen. It was on that basis he was elected leader. He convinced the majority of his party to sign up for it two years ago. But if the public rejects that approach, what are his options?
It is unreasonable to ask Mr Rabbitte to offer his head on a plate if that does not happen. There is no resignation culture in this State even when grievous acts of misconduct or corruption are carried out. Why should Mr Rabbitte answer the question as to whether he will resign if the voters do not opt for his choice of government?
But that is what the Labour Party leader is being asked to do when the media challenges him to categorically rule out any arrangement with Fianna Fáil after the general election. It is a valid question. It has a particular resonance in view of Dick Spring's unexpected coalition with Albert Reynolds after the 1992 election. But, Mr Rabbitte, no more than any other leader, cannot be expected to foresee the consequences of the election result before the voters have expressed their opinions. It would be madness for him to change political strategy at this point in the election campaign.
Similar pressure has been exerted on the Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern through demands that he should categorically rule out any post-election arrangement with Sinn Féin. At one point, the exercise was initiated by the Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell and was encouraged by Fine Gael. Mr Ahern provided the required commitment. Like Mr Rabbitte, he recently said that there were no circumstances where he would envisage a new government being dependent on the support of Sinn Féin.
The prospect of a surprise post-election alliance has been given substance by a number of opinion polls suggesting a hung Dáil, with neither Labour and Fine Gael nor Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats having sufficient numbers to form a government.
Mr Rabbitte has expressed the conviction that these figures will change but, as things stand, they provide a volatile and unsettling backdrop to the campaign that is already under way. A vote for Labour and Fianna Fáil will not guarantee a Fianna Fáil-Labour government.