Now is not time, says Taoiseach as he rules out going to the polls

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has ruled out a pre-Christmas general election in the Republic of Ireland, ending days of speculation.

Mr Varadkar said he did not believe now was the right time to have an election given the uncertainty around Brexit.

He had been urged by colleagues to call an election at the end of next month after the EU granted the UK a three-month extension to the Brexit deadline. Mr Varadkar said it remained his preference to have an election in the summer of 2020.

“I am Taoiseach and it is my prerogative to ask for a dissolution of the Dail if I thought it was the right thing for the country,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s the right thing for the country, not with the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit.” He said that it was not in Ireland’s interests to “only have a caretaker government” during what could be a “crucial and potentially dangerous time for Ireland”.

Mr Varadkar said that he did not believe it was in the country’s interests to spend potentially weeks and months trying to form a new government after an election in the face of Brexit and a potentially uncertain outcome of the UK election.

He said it was possible Prime Minister Boris Johnson could win the December general election and ratify the withdrawal deal struck with the EU. But he said it was also possible that the Brexit Party — led by Nigel Farage — could hold the balance of power, or there could be a new government led by a new Prime Minister who wants to reopen negotiations with the EU.