As with most political animals I keep an avid eye on the weekly outpourings of the local media.. now generally I keep a positive tone but I’ve noted two stories this week that just struck me as disingenuous at best, hypocritical at worst…

First up is our own Kildare North Labour Deputy Emmet Stagg.. Now Emmet I’ve met once or twice seems an affable chap and by all accounts he got on with the business of government and was well regarded by FF colleagues during coalition days gone by.. but these days his speciality appears to be recycling government press releases with his own unique spin.. issuing a missive to welcome some new government development or other (which is a little odd for an opposition deputy anyway) but then petulantly attempting to find fault with some aspect or nuance..

His latest victim is the Kildare Route Project rail upgrade which he this week welcomes to great acclaim itemising the many benefits in his press release.. but somehow manages to claim that despite attempts to “derail it” it was now “a runaway train” that could not be stopped..Nice puns aside one could be forgiven for thinking the shining light of Labour came to the rescue after a change of guard perhaps rescuing the project from the plundering hordes.. but no for the entire period in question Labour were in opposition, Fianna Fáil were in power.. It was Brian Cowen himself who comitted the hundreds of millions being welcomed.. and neither Stagg nor any other Labour Deputy had either hand, act or part in the project.. a history lesson required or perhaps just a calendar..

The other act of confused politics lies with the various Naas Town Councillors who turned out an EGM of the Lakelands Residents association recently, and queued up to one by one denounce the draconian pay-parking regime foisted upon the estate by the totalitarian council.. again amnesia reigned supreme as they seemingly forgot that at the previous town council meeting, they to a man had voted for it.