In 1977 people bought into the Fianna Fáil manifesto and gave Fianna Fáil a 20 seat majority. The electorate waited for four years from 1977 to 1981 and dumped the party unceremoniously out of office. It never forgave the Labour Party for jumping into bed with Fianna Fáil in 1992, despite its semi-redemption by participating in the three part rainbow Government, and in 1997 exacted a devastating revenge. On this occasion it will wait patiently and menacing in the long grass for 2005 or 2006 in order to exact the same revenge.