The five key takeaways from speech
Simon Harris assumed the role of leader of Fine Gael at a packed Sheraton Hotel in Athlone, Co Westmeath, yesterday.
He described it as “the honour of my life” to take over the reins from Leo Varadkar to lead Fine Gael at the age of 37 – the youngest ever to do so. In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Harris thanked the party for its trust in him and vowed to repay that trust with “blood, sweat and tears”.
Here are the five key takeaways from his first speech as leader.
Praise for outgoing leader
Mr Harris began his speech by lauding his predecessor, who “delivered when hope and leadership were needed in dark days”.
He said Mr Varadkar presided over a Fine Gael in power which shepherded Ireland from unemployment to full employment, from a Budget deficit to a Budget surplus and into a more “equal Ireland” with “progress on affordable childcare and universal healthcare”.
“Whether it was the existential threats of Brexit and Covid-19 or his contribution to key moments of social change in this country, I believe his legacy is truly significant.”
‘Sinn Féin can’t handle the truth’
The taoiseach-elect paraphrased the famous Jack Nicholson line in A Few Good Men when bringing up political rivals Sinn Féin early in his speech.
“Sinn Féin can’t bear to look back over what Fine Gael has achieved since pulling our economy back from the brink.
“Always seeking to denigrate our service in Government by denying reality, they can’t handle the truth.
“We will not stand for that,” he pledged.
Time for Fine Gael to ‘reset’
Mr Harris, seemingly acknowledging that the party needs a change of direction, said Fine Gael must “reset” and admitted: “There is a hell of a lot of work to get done ahead.
“It is a moment for Fine Gael to reconnect. It is a moment for Fine Gael to renew our commitment to the people.”
Mr Harris vowed to “bring energy and renewal” to Fine Gael and said he would be “going back to the decent, hard-working grassroots of this party and listening carefully to what you want to see happen next”.
Taking the fight to ‘populism and deliberate polarisation’
He said he wanted his party to be at the forefront of the fight “against populism and deliberate polarisation”.
“This is a great country and we should never allow people to talk it down. We have many problems to solve, that’s why we get out of bed in the morning, and I know the people just want us to crack on with this work.
“We must and we will do this with civility, with honesty, with a determination to debate without rancour and personal demonisation. But let no one mistake my civility for lack of resolve,” Mr Harris said.
Standing for law and order
Mr Harris received applause as he referenced the funeral of Pearse McAuley last week. McAuley was convicted of the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996.
“When I saw the Tricolour of this republic draped over the coffin of a garda killer, I say shame. Fine Gael stands for law and order, on the side of An Garda Síochána, where our streets are safe and crime is never allowed go unchecked.”