Sulking Leo can save face by engaging with Fianna Fáil
THE question one has to ask Leo Varadkar in particular, and his caretaker government colleagues in general, is when, precisely, did they become so disrespectful towards people who voted for Fine Gael. Almost 456,000 people headed out on February 8 and opted for the Blueshirts as their choice for government. Admittedly, this was 80,000 less than Sinn Féin got and 29,000 fewer than Fianna Fáil – but it was still 21% of the entire first preference vote.
However, since then we’ve had nothing but the most enormous political sulk from Varadkar – like the time a few weeks ago when he threw a similar strop and told us Irish unity was now further away because we didn’t buy into his plans for a good auld hooley to honour the RIC and their Black and Tan friends.
It was perfectly obvious, even before the full results of the general election were announced that the only conceivable government that could emerge from the three-way-tie result was a Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green coalition. And it didn’t take a political sage to work that one out.
OF course, it would be desirable if such a coalition also included the six Social Democrat TDs in order properly to acknowledge the electorate’s insistence that urgent action be taken to solve the crises in housing and health, but they have ruled themselves out. (Labour, God help us, have enough problems just staying alive). Instead of the calm and collected leadership this country is entitled to expect from Mr Varadkar, we’ve been insulted repeatedly by unrelenting political grandstanding, faux humility, hardto-get posturing, negativity and unforgivable recklessness.
The brainboxes in Fine Gael figure it’s the right thing to let Mary Lou off in her doomed attempt to form a left-wing government and, when that collapses into an inglorious heap, Leo becomes relevant again, a kind of latter-day cavalry riding in to save the day and form a proper government with Micheál Martin. Gimme a break.
The Taoiseach’s behaviour for the past two weeks betrays a political spinelessness that goes a long way to explain how the multiple disasters in housing and health have been allowed to develop to this point.
It also explains the extraordinary rise in Sinn Féin support – a surge that comes from a deep public frustration caused by Varadkar’s failures in fundamental areas.
This is not the way centre politics, founded on consensus, compromise, social cohesion and prudent management of national finances is supposed to work.
A government comprised of adults would have levelled with the public within hours of the election.
Such a government would have identified the obvious way to a stable, full-term administration and that would have resulted in an early invitation to Micheál Martin for meaningful talks with the clear intention to forming a government. This should now happen as a matter of urgency.
Principled, grown-up politicians would have demanded equal respect for voters who backed Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and challenged the groundless spin that Sinn Féin was somehow entitled to a place around the Cabinet table.
Courageous politicians would have recognised that a national emergency needed to be declared to solve housing, homelessness and health and that all arms of government must be directed to do just that.
This is a pivotal moment in the history of Ireland. It calls for centre politicians possessed of integrity and resolve, not ’fraidy cats and yellow bellies.
THERE is still time and a clear pathway for Mr Varadkar to mend his hand. He need only read the results of an opinion poll in last Wednesday’s Irish Daily Mail to find the direction to his political resurrection. That poll asked voters if they’d vote for a new government that managed to alleviate (not even ‘solve’) the housing and homeless crisis – 49% said they would.
That’s the prize the caretaker Taoiseach Mr Varadkar has to keep his eye on. This game is not over, not by a long shot. Centre politics can still prove it can work.
Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin are now presented with their greatest political opportunity – to solve the burning issues and stem the rise of Sinn Féin at the same time.
That’s the most appropriate way to show proper respect for the people who gave them their number ones on February 8 – all 939,883 of them.