Varadkar tells FF there is no plot for poll in September
LEO Varadkar has insisted to Fianna Fáil and the Greens there is no ‘September plot’ to run to the country in a quick election, according to sources close to the Taoiseach.
Revelations that Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy was looking at how to hold a ‘Covid-19 poll’ in four months’ time led to alarm among government negotiators.
They feared the slow progress was a sign that Fine Gael was stringing them along so they could hold an election at a time when their popularity was up.
Fianna Fáil TDs involved in
‘This smacks of bad faith and selfishness’
the talks last night strongly criticised leaked Government plans on how to conduct a general election in Covid-19 Ireland. Party sources told the Irish Mail on Sunday there was an ‘element of double dealing’ by Fine Gael.
However, Cabinet sources insisted the leak was ‘mischievous’ – though they maintained that it is ‘common sense’ to have contingency plans.
Senior Fianna Fáil negotiator Barry Cowen told the MoS last night: ‘I sincerely hope that this is not true. If true, it smacks of bad faith, selfishness and putting party before country.’
The party’s public expenditure spokesman added: ‘There is no doubt it is impossible to hold an election in the present circumstances, as it will be for many months to come.
‘I don’t need a group of officials wasting their time to come back to confirm that to me when we’ve more to be doing in relation to rebuilding the economy and giving people an opportunity to have a chance in life. The election was held and people expect politicians to get on with forming a government and doing what we have to do, and they don’t need this manoeuvring and oneupmanship going on behind the scenes and under the cover of darkness, no matter how they dress it up today.’
The leak to The Irish Times said officials were looking into spreading voting over a number of days, giving cocooners a postal vote and allowing polling in nursing homes.
Another FF negotiator, Meath East TD Thomas Byrne, said: ‘We are still getting to grips with, and seeking answers to real tragedies, in our nursing home, while this article reports that Eoghan Murphy is planning for polling stations in nursing homes for a snap election. How utterly sick.’
However, the Taoiseach told the MoS: ‘We’ve entered talks in good faith with Fianna Fáil and the Greens and are keeping in close contact with moderate independents. Labour and the SocDems declined to meet us. We are working hard every day now to agree a programme for government by the end of the month, that is good for the country and I can recommend to our members.’
Sources close to Mr Varadkar told the MoS: ‘Leo is not happy about these September plot claims. There is no such plan, but saying that is a bit like saying you don’t beat your wife.’
Fine Gael Cabinet sources said the story was ‘not a help’.
‘Whoever gave that leak hasn’t done us any favours,’ said one source, ‘still it is common sense, if you were to require a general election in November or December, take the politicians out of it, the official government, the civil service, would be irresponsible not to plan for it. We’ve all this stuff stacking up, the civil service is duty bound to have these plans.’
Nevertheless talks about forming a Government will take on a new urgency this week, those involved told the MoS last night. There is a belief that the expected economic gloom, the need for legislation and the flagging public morale are all hastening the need for a new government; and that the lack of an elected administration could hamper the country’s ability to borrow abroad.
A Government source told the MoS: ‘We can be as generous as we like when it comes to making promises about not raising taxes, as long as we can borrow cheaply. That’s fine right now but when other countries increase their borrowing requirements then we will be competing for loans on international exchanges. As everyone became an expert on international lending in the last crash we will become experts again. And its simple, as your riskiness increases the interest you are charged increases.’
‘A new urgency as public morale is low’