Irish Politicians; we have the beasts, but where are the beauties?

By Catherine Moore

Irish politics needs sexing up. Young people are quickly losing interest in politics. This was never seen so clearly as with the Lisbon Treaty with 7/10 young people abstaining from using their votes, with many admitting they did not even know what it was about.

So what does grab young people’s attention if it is not politics? Sport? Entertainment? Socialising? Fashion? Glamorous tv shows like The Hills and car shows like Top Gear have never been so popular amongst our age group. Why are so many young people switching off from politics and turning on Hollywood?

Italian Prime Minister may have come up inadvertently with a solution to this problem: Silvio Berlusconi recently hit headlines for his decision to sex up the European Elections by putting glamorous women forward as candidates.

Berlusconi may have taken the decision to put forward the beautiful women (whose background include being reality tv stars and showgirls) for elections for a publicity stunt or because of his well publicised libido, or perhaps, because he thought it would be a way to get people interested in politics again. Whatever the reason, the man had a point. (One of this candidates Eleonora Gaggioli in photo)

Glamour and Irish politicians do not necessarily go hand in hand. Glitz and glam are not as prominent in Irish culture as say or French or Italian neighbours. We are more famed for leprechauns, pints of Guinness and ceili’s then tall, tanned, toned, beach bodies.

I hear you screaming at the computer screen that politics isn’t mean to be glamorous, it isn’t mean to sexy. After all, no one would put Jordan in charge of running the country (we might become more famous for being the pink and sparkly isle instead of the emerald one) but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.

I like politics. I studied it in college and I continue to follow it. But when I sit down of an evening, I am more inclined to automatically put on a tv show with a bit of glitz and glam, then I am to watch Vincent Brown.

Toireasa Ferris was recently voted the 7th most beautiful woman in politics by a Spanish magazine. Toireasa makes a bit of an effort and it shows and you know what? It makes politics that bit more glamorous, that bit more interesting for those that normally would have no interest in it.