Late Simon... or pulling out again?
LEO Varadkar hit back at Simon Coveney at the second Fine Gael hustings in Carlow last night, after the Housing Minister tried to paint his rival as being too narrowly focused on winning middle class support.
But the response of the night came during a lighter moment in the proceedings.
The debate had to be delayed for ten minutes as Mr Coveney was stuck in traffic, and Mr Varadkar was quick to make fun of his opponent.
When the debate started, he told Mr Coveney: ‘Simon, when you arrived there are little bit late, I was worried you might be pulling out again. I am glad that is not the case.’ The audience laughed.
During the more serious moments, Mr Varadkar said Mr Coveney risked turning Fine Gael into a party that stands for nothing. ‘Saying that you want to represent everyone is not a value system, it’s not a moral compass. It is empty rhetoric. And that, in my book, is not leadership,’ he said.
He was responding after Mr Coveney had asked the audience why they were in Fine Gael and what they wanted for the country. Competent economic management is the foundation, he said, ‘but what do we do then? Where is Fine Gael’s moral compass pointing today?’
But Mr Varadkar scolded him, saying: ‘Plenty of people will accuse us of being an uncaring party. But we should not accuse each other of it.’
Leo in profile: Pages 22-23