Politics watch: Government and Opposition face referendum fallout

James Cox

Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week ahead.

This week, there will be one discussion that dominates most of the Dáil debate; the fallout from the family and care referendums.

The overwhelming no vote is a big own goal for the government, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar describing it as "two wallops" for the Coalition.

Political sources have described unrest within the Government, with some Green Party figures reportedly believing their colleagues did not do enough.

In normal circumstances, there would be an onslaught from the Opposition after such a result.

However, most parties face a dilemma as the majority of them backed a yes yes vote.

They will undoubtedly pick holes in the vague wording of the proposed amendments, and claim they could have done it better.

Mary Lou McDonald said the government had failed. She also suggested Sinn Féin would re-run the referendum, with a focus on removing the 'women's place in the home' provision from the Irish Constitution.

The Social Democrats and the Labour Party are likely to make similar comments.

The only party to advocate a no vote was Peadar Tóibín's Aontú.

Other prominent figures pushing for a no vote were senators Michael McDowell and Tom Clonan.

Abroad

With the 2024 presidential election now all but confirmed as a rematch of Joe Biden vs Donald Trump, all eyes in the US are on November 5th.

Mr Biden and Mr Trump warned of dire consequences for the country if the other wins another term in the White House as the pair held rallies in Georgia over the weekend.

In the UK, political turmoil continues for the Conservative Party with a general election later this year looking inevitable.

As British communities secretary Michael Gove prepares to announce a new government definition of extremism, three former home secretaries have warned against it becoming a political football.

Priti Patel, Sajid Javid and Amber Rudd are among the signatories to a statement calling for “as broad a consensus as possible” in tackling extremism from Islamists, far-right groups and others.