Win some, lose some – but mostly losing – sums up Leo’s mixed record at the ballot box
A key turning point in the referendums came during what should have been the relatively safe space of Virgin Media’s lifestyle programme, The Six O’Clock Show.
The Government campaign was already in trouble but questions from former Big Brother contestant, Brian Dowling and co-presenter, katja Mia should not have posed a threat.
Then in the middle of a discussion about families caring for the disabled
Varadkar dropped a clanger which continued to do the rounds on social media until polling day.
‘My experience of life, and I’m sure it’s most people’s experience of life, my parents brought me up. They cared for me. When they’re old, I’m going to make sure they’re looked after. God forbid if something happened to either of my sisters, I’ll make sure that my nephews and nieces are looked after, that they’ve a home, they’ve an education.’
He then added: ‘I don’t actually think that’s the State’s responsibility, to be honest.’
Though Leo subsequently claimed that he was ‘misrepresented’ after Mary
Lou McDonald said the
Taoiseach had said ‘the provision of care for vulnerable citizens is not the responsibility of the State’, it was too late.
Once again the Taoiseach had turned an opportunity into trouble and the electoral consequences were there for everyone to see this weekend.
There is now a renewed focus on the Taoiseach’s political record and the results are telling.
Between referendums, elections, plebiscites, european, council and byelections he has engaged in 16 contests and won just five of them. For a leader who was supposed to be a coldblooded killer, the record has been speckled and it looks a lot worse after this weekend
LEO’S RECORD
The Taoiseach started brightly with five wins out of six but it’s been all downhill since. September 18, 2018 Repeal the Eighth amendment opening the door for abortion in Ireland - Win
November 27 2018 Ban on blasphemy is got rid of by voters – Win
May, 2019 European elections – The Leo ‘bounce’ sees Fine Gael win the most seats (5) - Win
May, 2019 Council elections
Fine Gael comes second to Fianna Fáil in national elections for the first time since 2011. Though the party gained 20 seats, Fianna Fáil, with 12 gains, won 267 and secured more seats than Fine Gael. The old rivals were back – Loss June 11, 2019 Divorce referendum amendment Comfortably passes. – Win Plebiscite Limerick
Mayoralty, 2019 Vote on Lord Mayor for Limerick – Win Plebiscite 2019 Vote on Lord Mayor of Cork – Loss Plebiscite, 2019 Vote on Mayor for Waterford – Loss November, 2019 Cork North Central By-Election Fine Gael favourite Colm Burke ambushed as Fianna Fáil actually win – Loss
November, 2019 Dublin Fingal By-Election Supposed to be James Reilly’s last hurrah. There wasn’t much cheering as the Greens Joe O’Brien romped home – Loss November, 2019 Dublin MidWest By-Election Fine Gael favourite emer Higgins ambushed by Sinn Féin in test run for election 2020 – Loss November, 2019 Wexford ByElection Favourite Verona Murphy derailed by Fine Gael HQ as Malcolm Byrne made it two out of four by-election wins for Fianna Fáil – Loss
2020 General Election Spectral performance sees Fine Gael scrape back into power despite losing 12 out of its starting 47 seats – In government but as junior partners – Loss
July 8, 2021 Dublin Bay South By-Election – Rout in FG heartland as Ivana Bacik trumps James Geoghegan – Loss
March 8, 2024 Referendum on the Family Deleting women within the home reference – Loss
March 8, 2024 Referendum on Care – Loss
SCORECARD Played: 16
Won: Five
Lost: 11
It’s been a long time since Fine Gael in 2017 couldn’t get rid of enda kenny fast enough and replace him with a supposedly proven political winner like Leo.
The electoral record since then is pretty stark with FG looking more like a party stuck in a relegation dogfight.