George Lee resigns from Fine Gael and Dail!!!

Rovi

Press release on NewsTalk right now.

Jip

Just listening to that myself, that's a surprise, he didn't last very long did he ? Sounds like he wasn't getting enough say in the party and he didn't like that at all.

Pittens

Probably read Vincent Browne's piece in the SBP yesterday.

Laminations

Just heard. Not a shining vote of confidence for FG. It must be so frustrating to want to affect change and be sidelined. Big loss to the party IMO

Judgement Day

What a twat - you don't join something like FG and expect to change it overnight. I suppose he will accepted back into RTE with open arms now. Maybe he can write a bestseller and make a movie too.

Villain

Yep just announced on Today FM, hard to go back as an indpendent correspondent now, pretty big blow for FG, he should have went as Indpendent for a while giving the current Dail numbers he could have had more say as an Indo

FlashGordon1969

Im presuming this is true. What a shock. Is it defo true?

esharknz

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0208/breaking40.htm

yop

Thats odd. Something weird behind that. It would take a little confidence away from FG that.
Met the guy at our work place and have to say I was impressed with his knowledge and interest in our company and products.

Flamed Diving

Predictable.

LostinBlanch

Huge blow for FG.

Looks like they've shot themselves in the foot there. It will only increase the clamour for Enda Kenny to go.

Best thing for FF in ages. Lee would have made mincemeat of Lenihans lies on NAMA and the economy if he was let do so.

Laminations

Its a shame. It shows the mans integrity. The same cant be said for the Greens and Dan Boyle, how many times have they threatened pulling out?

Jip

Laminations wrote: »

Its a shame. It shows the mans integrity.

But does it really ? He obviously only joined FG thinking he would get a mouth piece and influence for his ideas, by leaving so soon it shows he has no loyalty to any particular party or ideology.

simonj

People voted for him, he has a duty to at least complete his term to provide representation - not jump halfway through the term a la Sarah Palin

It wont achieve anything, maybe if some Greens did the same it would have an effect, but Lee doing this - especially on the back of yesterdays paper is acting on personal pique rather than the much vaunted national interest

But more and more people are getting sick of the FF/FG tweedledum, tweedledumber system where party loyalty and the whip come first

Pride Fighter

Jip wrote: »

But does it really ? He obviously only joined FG thinking he would get a mouth piece and influence for his ideas, by leaving so soon it shows he has no loyalty to any particular party or ideology.

Thats a good thing though. FG are an awful party of the far right. I have more respect for the man now.

FlashGordon1969

Just confirmed on News at one RTE. George is a twat-pure and simple. What size ego does he have that he thought he would be at the centre of economic policy writing in Fine Gael after six months! This is not good news for Fine Gael .But this storm over lee will pass,while the economic quagmire we are in, sadly wont. So ,if I was a Fianna Failure ,I would let a smile crack across my lips but in a few days its back to cleaning up the terrible mess you created.

yop

Will he get his TD's pension Have to say after 9 month stint its a joke. What does he expect to do when the party are not in power.

Ludo

Laminations wrote: »

Its a shame. It shows the mans integrity.

Integrity??? Nope. Shows he is a quitter. 7/8 months is no time. What did he expect exactly? To be leader of the party immediately and taoiseach already or something?

All he has done is cost the country money by forcing another by-election and wasting public money paying him for his useless time.

And to think I supported him.

The older boys won't let me play so I am going home to mammy.

dlofnep

Seems like he didn't know what he was signing up for when he joined FG, but he found out quick enough. There's no point in him sitting out his term with a party if he doesn't wish to be a part of it.

JonathanAnon

LostinBlanch wrote: »

Huge blow for FG.

Have to agree. The ways things seem to be turning FF will get voted back in at the next election.

Disappointed in George. Thought he should have at least held on for the end of the term.

The Don 1985

I'm sure he has a valid reason...thought they should have used him alot more than they did anyway,pure stupidity on Enda Kennys part...whats the point in going to all the hassles of getting him to stand for election and then just casting him to the side when he gets elected.Enda Kenny obiously wanted him to wait in line to get to the top,this is a typical example of what Irish politics is like,Enda didnt want to point anyone else out by having George skip to the top of the que...exactly whats wrong with this country,too many yes men and not enough people like George,Michael O'Leary etc.

Flamed Diving

Jip wrote: »

But does it really ? He obviously only joined FG thinking he would get a mouth piece and influence for his ideas, by leaving so soon it shows he has no loyalty to any particular party or ideology.

Therefore he has integrity.

seamus

LostinBlanch wrote: »

Huge blow for FG.

I think so, particularly in the constituency that Lee was voted in, FG may have to kiss a seat goodbye for a long time there.

Looks like they've shot themselves in the foot there. It will only increase the clamour for Enda Kenny to go.

If anything I think it will strengthen Kenny's position internally because he didn't "capitulate" and promote the best man for the job, instead opting to maintain the oligarchy/cronyism that rules FF & FG.

Externally, yes it does, because it makes it appear that Kenny decided to take on a "star" candidate purely for the additional Dail seat but didn't intend to actually make use of his experience - which is no doubt why a lot of people voted for him.

hallelujajordan

There is no integrity in this move... Had he quit FG but stayed on as an Independent it might have shown integrity... But to quit his Dail seat ? ? The people elected him to represent their constituency not to shape FG economic policy.

Huge blow to Enda Kenny too . . Clearly he had promised Lee something that he couldn't deliver !

Joey the lips

Very interesting. I reckon he is on his way to the greens.

flanzer

Massive blow for FG. They quite clearly don't have a clue how to run the country and George knows that. The only way they'll come good out of this is, if Enda resigns and takes most of the front bench with him

Jip

Have RTE kept his position open ?

EDIT !! He has just been asked what he's going to do next and he said probably go back to RTE ? How the hell can he slip back in there considering his attitude to the organisation once he left ??

FlashGordon1969

hallelujajordan wrote: »

There is no integrity in this move... Had he quit FG but stayed on as an Independent it might have shown integrity... But to quit his Dail seat ? ? The people elected him to represent their constituency not to shape FG economic policy.

Huge blow to Enda Kenny too . . Clearly he had promised Lee something that he couldn't deliver !

Cant understand why he didnt stay as an Independent. Just said he is probably going back to RTE. What an institution RTE is-seemingly you can resign your job and even work for a competitor (Richard Crowley Marty) and come back. People give out about the Public sector but RTE are ludicrous! News at one hammered George. Well done. George I shook your hand once in Dundrum but you are now in political and economic commentary terms a joke.

Bad news for Enda not sure this will play out for him. FF vote will stabilise but only an idiot would think they will recover to above 27% Two reasons why not (and there are so many more)-Property Tax and water charges.

hallelujajordan

Jip wrote: »

Have RTE kept his position open ?

EDIT !! He has just been asked what he's going to do next and he said probably go back to RTE ? How the hell can he slip back in there considering his attitude to the organisation once he left ??

And how can he be an "independent voice" within our national broadcaster when he has just spent the last 9 months hammering the government from every angle he can . .

Red_Marauder

I have to say, for a man so exposed to the political system to resign from politics simply because he didn't get an immediate, grand promotion, is naive in the extreme.

Lee has been quite public over his disappointment about life as a back bencher, he didn't hid the fact that he felt he should have been entitled to more speaking time on NAMA than presumably his colleagues on the other back benches were afforded - perhaps his colleagues on the front benches even. But he's only been in there six months, did he expect to be Finance Minister by now?

It will be interesting to see where he goes from here... back to RTE? Life as a reporter would be hard to defend after a stint in Leinster House.