I see Fine Gael and Labour are either u-turning on another policy or else admitting that here is yet another issue where they made up their opposition policy at five minutes to closing time on a beermat. This time it is banning corporate donations, suggesting that the supreme court will rule such a ban unconstitutional.

Fair enough. Why not just tax corporate donations at, say, 1000%? The Supreme Court will be fairly loath to interfere in a taxation issue, and it’ll ensure that companies will still have the (very expensive) option to donate to the candidate of their choice, provided they are happy to pay the political donation tax. Everybody’s a winner!