Irish Examiner rural Ireland poll: Simon Harris most popular party leader
The new Irish Examiner/Ipsos rural Ireland poll will make worrying reading for Mary Lou McDonald however, who has seen support for Sinn Féin and her leadership of the party slip in recent months.Fine Gael is the most popular party among rural voters, with concerns for Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin ahead of the general election, an exclusive Irish Examiner poll shows.
With the budget looming and speculation on a November general election at fever pitch, Taoiseach Simon Harris has seen support for his party rise to 27% among farmers and those living in rural Ireland.
Fianna Fáil, which gathers for its pre-Dáil think-in today, is now at 22%, with Sinn Féin support dropping to just 18%.
Independents, a group which has been gaining momentum, are on 20%, and will now be seen as a threat to party candidates in many rural constituencies.
When asked to rate the performance of various political leaders, 36% of those surveyed awarded the Taoiseach a mark of at least eight out of 10. That compares to 28% for Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and 10% for Mary Lou McDonald.
Irish Examiner rural Ireland poll: Simon Harris most popular party leader
The new Irish Examiner/Ipsos rural Ireland poll will make worrying reading for Mary Lou McDonald however, who has seen support for Sinn Féin and her leadership of the party slip in recent months.
Fine Gael 27%
Fianna Fáil 22%
Sinn Féin 18%
Independents 20%
Social Democrats 3%
Labour 3%
Green Party 1%
Other 5%
