Kate’s choirboys outburst added a whiff of sulphur to the contest
I t was the best “get up the bloody yard – the lot of ye” outburst we’ve heard for some time and it certainly added a bit of much needed gaiety to the opening rounds of the Leo versus Simon battle.
Kate O’Connell’s barnstorming depiction of Varadkar supporters as “choirboys singing for their supper” was simply delicious. But the icing on the cake was that she pulled few punches in dissing her Fine Gael constituency colleague, Eoghan Murphy.
She assured us she has been watching Leo’s campaign manager for some time. “And I know the form,” she added conspiratorially. What could she mean in so depicting Mr Murphy, who is now hotly tipped for a Cabinet seat should his man assume the mantle of Taoiseach?
We can only ponder what dastardly political deeds Eoghan has been up to in Kate’s eyes.
However, her unrestrained outburst was a reminder that the most vicious of all battles – often fuelled by deep personal loathing – is between TDs from the same party fighting their corner in our multi-seat constituency system. More often than not, the biggest threat to a Dáil deputy is from a party colleague. They have got to watch their number one competitor like the proverbial hawk – such is the case with Kate and Eoghan. Her rage that Mr Murphy seemed to have backed the winning horse clearly knew no bounds, as Leo’s “choirboys” stormed into a powerful opening lead.
Ms O’Connell has a slightly unusual public persona. Her overall demeanour is very much that of the prototype south-Dublin female Fine Gael TD. Yet a kind of hybrid accent, and mode of expression, is more redolent of somewhere beyond the M50.
One way or another, she provided a whiff of sulphur, so badly lacking at the outset of the Coveney campaign.
It was also difficult not to feel some empathy for Mr Coveney, as he bewailed the fact certain TDs who had solemnly promised him support had gone over to the other side once they realised the way the wind was blowing. It’s all proof that, regardless of the forced politeness between both camps, down and dirty politics are at play. The stakes could not be higher – the chance of becoming Taoiseach and party leader all in one go may not come round again for a long time.
Mr Coveney’s sense of hurt at what he sees as a stab in the back by party heavyweights must run deep. Yet his family has been long enough in the political game for him to realise politicians talking out of both sides of their mouths at a time like this is hardly surprising. Loyalty in politics can be less than wafer thin. When career advancement and a possible cabinet seat is on the line, the spirit of Machiavelli and self-interest usually dominates all else.
Yet, despite being on the ropes for the past week, Mr Coveney’s fortunes have noticeably improved since adopting a more aggressive and assertive approach, in trying to woo Fine Gael councillors and the party membership. But he is left with a mountain to climb – and the hope some of the Varadkar choirboys might again change their tune and come over to his side looks like wishful thinking.
Mr Varadkar is also helped by the belief he will be more rapier-like when confronting Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil in the Dáil. Whether this approach will put the ‘confidence and supply’ deal between the parties at risk is anybody’s guess. But Leo’s instinct will be to cut and run – and provoke a general election – if the odds seem any way reasonable for Fine Gael.
The other key consideration is whose ‘mugshot’ on an election poster will win most seats for the party. Mr Varadkar’s allure for a huge swathe of the middle-income group in the greater Dublin area is a powerful weapon for his party. The challenge is to translate this to constituencies around the country. His “getting up early in the morning” mantra, coupled with a certain doffing of the cap to the “coping classes”, suggests there will be a nudging of the party to the right should he become leader.
He may well have concluded that, with Fianna Fáil locked in battle with Sinn Féin in a number of constituencies, it is trapped in the politics of populism on issues such as water charges. Therefore, there may be scope for Fine Gael advancement in the centre ground.
But it will still take a quantum leap in party fortunes come election time if it is to break the current Dáil logjam. Fine Gael will have to up its seat quota significantly – before the search for an amenable coalition arrangement begins.
In the meantime, we can expect Mr Coveney, buoyed by new opinion poll findings, to come out all guns blazing next week. The gloves will be off. Given his faltering start, he really now has no option but to go for it. And he can indulge a real whoopee campaign wrap-up in his Cork citadel. Despite massive restraint all round, and the fretful concerns of party chiefs behind the scenes desperate to keep matters low key and civilised, a certain venom could now enter proceedings. But if Simon goes for the jugular, then Leo will have no option but to fight back in kind.
No doubt Kate O’Connell will be cheering her man from the sidelines – determined to choke off any sweet sounds coming from assembled choirboys.