Fianna Fáil might as well amalgamate with Fine Gael if they accept Leo as Taoiseach
SIR, We have just seen a leadership contest between a minister who failed as minister for health, where the health service got worse under his watch and a housing minister where the housing issue has got worse under his watch. Instead of focusing on the non-achievements of both, the media turned the campaign into an X-Factor popularity contest where everything else seemed irrelevant. The fact that 50 per cent of the membership of Fine Gael did not seem to have faith in either of the two contenders ought to say it all about them both.
Now the focus turns to Fianna Fáil, wondering will they facilitate the election of a Taoiseach who was rejected by 65 per cent of his own party grassroots. If they do, which is highly likely, it will mean that they have more confidence in him than his own party members have. Will they go down in history as the party that facilitated the election of a second Fine Gael Taoiseach within a year, the first not having a clear mandate from the general public and the second not having a mandate from the majority of his own party members. If this happens, surely it would be time they both ended their civil war politics and amalgamated as one so as to end the present charade going on between them, more especially since they already have joint control of many councils together around the country.
If the present government arrangement survives, one wonders why Fianna Gael were in such a rush to dispense with Enda Kenny in the first place as its policies will continue as before.
The common complaint among people is that politicians lose touch with their electorate once elected. The present result has surely copper-fastened that belief, as the vast majority of the so called “choir boys and girls” within Fine Gael apparently did not consult with their grassroot supporters before declaring for their preferred candidate. Since Leo will be unable to offer all of them ministerial jobs, maybe he might be able to place some of them on ‘CE’ schemes Sincerely. Christy Kelly. Templeglantine, Co Limerick.