George Lee resigns from Fine Gael and Dail!!!

Red_Marauder

Has George Lee not told a big porky....I'm nearly sure when he went into politics, he resigned from RTE?? And cut all ties??

And now we hearing he's still staff at RTE??

No he always made it clear that he hadn't officially left

JonathanAnon wrote:

He said a second ago that he was offered a Cabinet position when he told Enda that he was going to resign. This is really really bad for Kenny in particular, and also for the party as a whole.

Why? Kenny was grooming Lee for a cabinet position by asking him to chair the economic committee. Then when faced with the prospect of Losing Lee, he offered him the shadow cabinet job on a fast-forward basis. That makes perfect sense. The question is, why did Lee turn it down? What about serving the economy?

BeeDI

Be real interesting to hear what Hookey, will mhave to say this evening on the Right Hook! Bet his blue shirt, has popped a few buttons at this news :D

murpho999

flanzer wrote: »

Has George Lee not told a big porky....I'm nearly sure when he went into politics, he resigned from RTE?? And cut all ties??

And now we hearing he's still staff at RTE??

He took a career break.....amazing how people twist things!

Ally Dick

Is that new show GLEE about him ?

Red_Marauder

Pittens wrote: »

Is there any source for that besides this thread? And what job?

Yes George Lee on Liveline.
He said a senior cabinet position.

So why did he turn it down??

Judgement Day

Margaret was really putting the boot into the pompous ass a few minutes ago. All those ringing up to support him are not genuine FG voters at all - the prick has badly damaged FG and their chances of getting rid of the present shower of tossers. I'm not an FG voter either!:mad:

Poor old George but I'm sure he can get a job in the RTE canteen.

Oafley Jones

Red_Marauder wrote: »

So why didn't Lee take the front bench position he was offered this week?

Lets get real, Lee got his ego bruised because he wasn't offered anything last Summer, then chairing the economic committee wasn't enough, and finally he just threw everything out of the pram this morning.

Totally agree. Disgusted with those congratulating him now.... "Well done George you turned on your heel and fled when the going got too tough" What hope does this country have when this is the level of commitment thats offered?

rovert

flanzer wrote: »

Has George Lee not told a big porky....I'm nearly sure when he went into politics, he resigned from RTE?? And cut all ties??

And now we hearing he's still staff at RTE??

You are incorrect

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Totally agree. Disgusted with those congratulating him now.... "Well done George you turned on your heel and fled when the going got too tough"

It didnt get tough, it didnt get going at all.

Amhran Nua

Red_Marauder wrote: »

Yes George Lee on Liveline.
He said a senior cabinet position.

So why did he turn it down??

Party whip? He gives his reasons in the Times...

Yn a brief statement, Mr Lee said despite his best efforts he has had “virtually no influence or input” in shaping Fine Gael’s economic policies during a period of enormous economic upheaval.“When I entered politics last May I made it clear that I was doing so because I wanted to try to play a new role contributing to economic policy formulation," he said.
"Throughout that period I have done my best to play a positive role in contributing to the national debate and to efforts to find a solution for many of the country’s economic problems."
However, Mr Lee said that "after nine months of trying within the political system, it is now my considered view that the role available to me within Fine Gael is not a role I am happy to play.”

BeeDI

Anything that keeps Gilmore and Joan Burton out of government is good:)

hallelujajordan

Laminations wrote: »

For someone who constantly defends behaviours by stating you are waiting for tribunal reports you are very quick to speculate on the future here.

No speculation at all .. He has said himself that he wants to go back to RTE and we already know his salary there was higher than a TD's salary . . again, he said so himself. .

Deise Tom

thebaldsoprano wrote: »

Did you emigrate for the 'boom' years or something? I certainly did, and several friends even had their whole estates inundated with flyers from banks offering cheap loans. And the first thing FF/FG do is protect the elite who caused this mess while screwing the rest of us (Credit Institutions Financial Support Bill 2008).

While George Lee's motives may be slightly dubious, at least he's done something to throw a spanner in the works - fair play to him.

Maybe people were handed flyers etc but did they say that you had to take money. If they did, please do me a massive favour and show one on here. If the banks told you do jump from the top of a cliff would you do it. I doubt it. YOu dont have to do what you are always told. People have to wake up and learn right from wrong.

Villain

Its funny in one way I think Lee was far far too niave but at the same time it shows how sad our major political parties are, they are closed groups who look after their seat and their party first and foremost the country is last and always has been

Oafley Jones

rovert wrote: »

It didnt get tough, it didnt get going at all.

Then you quit the party and do the job as an independent. As I said before, If he had so little faith in his own ability to affect change he shouldn't have run first day.

Jip

Pittens wrote: »

Is there any source for that besides this thread?

He said it himself over several different interviews on several radio stations.

Silverado

George is a man of principal and stood by it. If Enda Kenny hasn’t availed of this valuable resource in the space of nine months then shame on him. It just illustrates how useless, turgid and phlegmatic Kenny is and it is high time that the party got rid of him. Can you just imagine the kind of Taoiseach he would make?

If Fine Gael can turf out Kenny forthwith maybe George and possibly some others like him could be persuaded to bolster the party ranks again.

JohnMearsheimer

How many of our TD's got into politics for the right reasons? I don't think very many. We have bored publicans, accountants, solicitors, inherited politicians as our elected representatives.

In my opinion becoming a TD to shape FG economic policy is not a sufficient reason to become a TD. Surely he could have tried to do this in some sort of external advisory role?

Liam Byrne

Jip wrote: »

And he took the easy way out, how can someone expect to walk into a job, where he has had no experience, and expect to go right to the top and fix the economy from a back bench party ?

Fair point, but TBH if FG were serious about reform and proper governance they would have been the ones to "out" O'Donoghue.

If I'd joined based on an agreement to reform and rebuild, and then hit that wall, I'd consider resigning too.

Compared to ruining the economy and signing away billions, it's minor, but it is the most major black mark against FG in recent times.

If Lee has integrity, then it wouldn't have to be HIS ideas that got accepted; just some tangible, general proof that things had changed.

FG scored an OG with that, and I suspect they're paying the price with the recent survey results and now this.

Maybe they'll cop on and be a more effective opposition now, because the fact that they lost ground to the current shower is crazy!

Villain

Deise Tom wrote: »

Maybe people were handed flyers etc but did they say that you had to take money. If they did, please do me a massive favour and show one on here. If the banks told you do jump from the top of a cliff would you do it. I doubt it. YOu dont have to do what you are always told. People have to wake up and learn right from wrong.

While I agree in that people have to be responsible for their own decisions, the Bertie Ahern's and Charlie McCreevy's of this world were telling us that anyone who thought we would go bust should commit suicide.

FF are responsible for this mess and George Lee quitting will never change that!!

rovert

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Then you quit the party and do the job as an independent.

That makes zero sense as it wouldnt be a nth as an effective alternative.

Oafley Jones wrote: »

As I said before, If he had so little faith in his own ability to affect change he shouldn't have run first day.

Wut, this issue about him being enabled to affect change with his own ability.

mike65

"I have no view on Enda Kenny"

Jip

Duffy rightly pulls him up when he said that he now no longer has a political opinion. Seriously Lee, how can you go from being a TD for FG to resigning and immediately having no political opinion just because you want to go back to RTE ?

Deise Tom

BeeDI wrote: »

Anything that keeps Gilmore and Joan Burton out of government is good:)

Better off having Ian Paisley come down and run the country than to have labour have anything to do with it.

Red_Marauder

Jip wrote: »

Duffy rightly pulls him up when he said that he now no longer has a political opinion. Seriously Lee, how can you go from being a TD for FG to resigning and immediately having no political opinion just because you want to go back to RTE ?

Exactly. This isn't a noble gesture, he wants his old job and old salary back. He refuses to take any political stance and that demonstrates the shallow nature of this resignation.

Ally Dick

Jip wrote: »

Duffy rightly pulls him up when he said that he now no longer has a political opinion. Seriously Lee, how can you go from being a TD for FG to resigning and immediately having no political opinion just because you want to go back to RTE ?

He's a busted flush. He's finished

Oafley Jones

rovert wrote: »

That makes zero sense as it wouldnt be a nth as an effective alternative.

So you think a back bencher has more sway that an Independent? Jacke Healy Rae and co. would disagree.

rovert wrote: »

Wut, this issue about him being enabled to affect change with his own ability.

No idea what you're saying here.

BeeDI

Silverado wrote: »

George is a man of principal and stood by it. If Enda Kenny hasn’t availed of this valuable resource in the space of nine months then shame on him. It just illustrates how useless, turgid and phlegmatic Kenny is and it is high time that the party got rid of him. Can you just imagine the kind of Taoiseach he would make?

If Fine Gael can turf out Kenny forthwith maybe George and possibly some others like him could be persuaded to bolster the party ranks again.

How on earth do people make out that G Lee was / is a valuable resource in sorting out the economy. What in blazes has Lee ever in his whole life done to be considered to be anything other than a well spoken fella, who happened to study economics at uni???????

The mind boggles, to he honest. The guy has absolutely no track record at anything other than being just another economics reporter on RTE.

BeeDI

Deise Tom wrote: »

Better off having Ian Paisley come down and run the country than to have labour have anything to do with it.

Or Iris Robinson for that matter :eek:

masalbeagdubh

I don`t think he can go back to the same job in RTE. I`d say he has big regrets now.

Deise Tom

Villain wrote: »

While I agree in that people have to be responsible for their own decisions, the Bertie Ahern's and Charlie McCreevy's of this world were telling us that anyone who thought we would go bust should commit suicide.

FF are responsible for this mess and George Lee quitting will never change that!!

I would not blame FF entitley for the mess we are in, but will have to accept some part. Brian Cowan has said a few times that any decission he took as minister for finance he do so in the hope that he was doing for the best for the people of Ireland. Bankers too have to take some of the blame as do developers, but the biggest part has to be taken by those who ran looking for more money than they actually needed, especially in the last four or five years.