in january 1987, the labour party members of the government withdrew from the government over disagreements due to budget proposals. fitzgerald continued as taoiseach, heading a minority fine gael government and proposed the stringent budgetary cutbacks that labour had blocked for some four years. fianna fáil returned to power in march 1987, after fine gael were heavily defeated in the 1987 general election, and charles haughey was elected taoiseach.