Brian Cowen to face leadership challenge

IrishTonyO

Brian Cowen looks like facing a leadership challenge according to the Times.

THE LEADERSHIP of Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to be directly challenged by backbench TD John McGuinness at the weekly meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party tomorrow night.

However, the Carlow-Kilkenny TD and former junior minister said he had not approached any of his colleagues to back him at the meeting: ‘‘I have no idea of [potential] support except that there is a big number of people on the back benches that share my view.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0329/1224267276659.html

IrishTonyO

and there's more Aylward thinks the Green agenda could break the coalition.

Carlow-Kilkenny TD Bobby Aylward said his support could not be relied on when it comes to votes in the Dáil on issues such as animal welfare, the Planning Bill or a ban on corporate donations.

“If it means there is going to be a break-up of the Coalition so be it. At this stage I am not going to be coerced into voting for another party’s agenda,” said Mr Aylward.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0329/1224267279699.html

Liam Byrne

A change of leadership won't change the ethos of the party, though......

I will use my vote again in future in the Dáil in a positive and constructive manner

Isn't that what they're supposed to do anyway ?

Biggins

Between now and the next general election, your going to see more of this seperation crap.
* "I might be a FF member - but I don't agree with all that they are doing, bla... bla..."
* "I don't support the party leader and I think he is wrong"
* "I would have done things different!"
...and so ruddy on...

Its party politics at local level and tactics for each one to get themselves re-elected at their local level/voting district.
This latest stunt will go nowhere (sadly) but it might fool John McGuinness's fans back home to once again vote FF and put their man back in.
The same principle goes for the rest of the other members of the FF mafia!
If they all try this stunt by varying degrees and methods, once again the docile sheep of this country will vote back the same shower of clowns.

Thats Ireland for you and they, the voters should kop themselves on to this type of stunt alone.

IrishTonyO

Wonder if this is the beginning of the end...... I mean a leadership challenge and TD's saying they are not going to vote for government policy, not looking promising for the government really.

jank

Sounds like the beginning of the end for Cowen. Nothing will come of this BUT the chess peices are now going to be moving as the party will be looking at post Cowen FF. All it will take is one cabinet minister to speak up against Cowen maybe Hanafin but I dont think so.

Hopefully FF will tear themselves apart!

IrishTonyO

It would be a bit more credible if they had a candidate to challenge him, I wonder would Hanafin be considering it. She has been treated very badly the last few times by Cowen.

Biggins

IF there is one thing that all effective TD's are good at, is making sure that they are doing things to see that they suffer the least damage to themselves.
While this is understandable, it also means that if they perceive something that is continuing to put themselves at risk, by bringing their organisation name (and thus them) down, they will if the momentum is there, dump it quicker than a held hot stone.

All it takes is for one or a few to get the ball rolling, the few that actually find a set of balls to say "feck this, your doing us (and me) no good" then they will in an equal act of self-preservation, dump that which is endangering position and/or current prospects.

For that reason alone, I'm amazed that the FF backbenchers up to now have still not managed to find their own set of balls and kept on instead, Cowen, Harney and co in their current cosy, costly and corruptible positions.

They should have been gone a lone time ago. The Fianna Fail party would have been a lot better off for it, in a number of ways - and its about time the backbenchers woke up and realised this.
Time to dump the trash!

Dannyboy83

Martin: FF face massacre in next election

By Mary Regan and Paul O’Brien
Monday, March 29, 2010

FIANNA FÁIL will suffer a "significant hammering" in the next election, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin admitted, as party support dropped further and backbench TDs pushed for a change in leadership.

Mr Martin criticised the communications strategy of Taoiseach Brian Cowen, but said he has "led the country through the worst of the recession" and there are "very difficult days and months ahead".






Mr Martin said, while international commentary has been positive about the measures being taken by the Irish Government, "domestic opinion is not supportive and that’s very clear".

At least 15 backbench TDs believe Mr Cowen is not the best person to lead the party into a general election as frustration with last week’s "missed opportunity" reshuffle continues.

The most vocal of the backbenchers, Kilkenny TD John McGuinness, said: "There is a considerable number of backbenchers that are concerned about the leadership of Brian Cowen and are anxious to do something about it."

However, Green Party leader John Gormley believes the Taoiseach’s position is not under threat from a backbench revolt.

Speaking at the end of his party’s annual convention in Waterford yesterday, he said the extent of discontent is "being exaggerated" by TDs disappointed because they did not get promotion.

"Clearly in the context of a reshuffle ... people who sought preferment and didn’t get it will give expression to that," said Mr Gormley, whose party secured two junior minister positions at the expense of many longstanding Fianna Fáil backbenchers. "That usually lasts a number of days and then it’s over with. I hope on this occasion it will be over with as well and that we can get on with the business of government."

Asked if the Green Party could be left dealing with their second change in Taoiseach since entering coalition with Fianna Fáil, he said: "I frankly think that that’s not going to happen. I just don’t see it happening."

The Government faces another big challenge tomorrow when Finance Minister Brian Lenihan announces plans in the Dáil for the latest bank bailouts.

Mr Lenihan is expected to announce that the banks need massive injections of capital with the possibility that the State might take a majority stake in AIB, although a final decision has not yet been made on this.

Mr Martin told RTÉ Radio this will prove another big challenge for the Government: "We have the capacity to come out of this, if we hold our nerve.

"In terms of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, I think it’s critically important that Government is allowed this space and is enabled to keep the focus on the big issues that face the county."

Rebel backbencher Mr McGuinness said the latest poll figures showed "the public have by and large abandoned Fianna Fáil".



This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, March 29, 2010

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/home/martin-ff-face-massacre-in-next-election-115801.html#ixzz0jZNT1DjU

[/quote]

Michael Martin himself has said that FF are going to be hammered.

I wonder if he is positioning himself?

Mr.Micro

IrishTonyO wrote: »

It would be a bit more credible if they had a candidate to challenge him, I wonder would Hanafin be considering it. She has been treated very badly the last few times by Cowen.

How about Calamity Coughlan? She would make Cowen look credible.:D

Darsad

I think that any back bencher that is seen to stand up against Clowen can only benefit as he is *ooked as is the party under his stewardship. I voted FF last time out and currently my two back bench Tds O,Brien and Kennedy need not come knocking on my door next time out , however were they instrumental in getting rid of Clowen and Mary of Dunglow I might just give them a sympathetic hearing but no promise of a vote they would have to do a lot more to get that back !

Donnaghm

I can't see Cowan getting removed at this stage. The government lacks a mandate as it is, the next FF Taoiseach would be 2 steps away from having a mandate. The Government's situation would be untenible.

patmar

If I was a TD I would go to the meeting tomorrow night and propose that not only should FF resign from government but also resign all seats and not contest an election. I would tell the meeting all those outside FF have the genius to run the country and make it a perfect place for the people. I would also say that all party members and those who voted FF in the past should emigrate immediately.

Thanks to FF I have a few properties around the world so wont le lost for a place to live

Dannyboy83

patmar wrote: »

Thanks to FF I have a few properties around the world so wont le lost for a place to live

LOL, I had wondered why you were such a diehard FFer.
Makes perfect sense now.

Thanks to FF, neither me, nor my friends have been able to afford to buy our own houses and most have now emigrated.

What did David McWilliams call that again?
The Generation Game?

The older generation get 4 houses, the younger generation get to pay for them.

mike65

patmar wrote: »

If I was a TD I would go to the meeting tomorrow night and propose that not only should FF resign from government but also resign all seats and not contest an election....I would also say that all party members and those who voted FF in the past should emigrate immediately.

Thanks to FF I have a few properties around the world so wont le lost for a place to live

That sounds pretty much perfect - a generation or so without FF could only be good for Ireland. And don't let the door hit you on the way out.

MaceFace

Talking about signing your own death warrant.

It would be suicide for most of the FF/Green TDs as it would have to spark an election. Considering the constant calls for resignations on everyone from Banks to Government to the church, everyone is baying for blood and an election could not be avoided.

If Cowen was displaced, the new leader would have to have another reshuffle to give out some jobs to his/her "friends" which would mean 3 Taoiseach is the one Dail term.

There will be, as mentioned already, a lot of postering from FF TDs to dissociate themselves from what is happening in government at the moment with the hope that they can get re-elected.

Aside: You have to have some sympathy for the bank benchers. They have almost no say into how the government runs this country. Unless you are in the cabinet, your say is worthless.

aidan24326

MaceFace wrote: »

Talking about signing your own death warrant.

It would be suicide for most of the FF/Green TDs as it would have to spark an election. Considering the constant calls for resignations on everyone from Banks to Government to the church, everyone is baying for blood and an election could not be avoided.

If Cowen was displaced, the new leader would have to have another reshuffle to give out some jobs to his/her "friends" which would mean 3 Taoiseach is the one Dail term.

There will be, as mentioned already, a lot of postering from FF TDs to dissociate themselves from what is happening in government at the moment with the hope that they can get re-elected.

Aside: You have to have some sympathy for the bank benchers. They have almost no say into how the government runs this country. Unless you are in the cabinet, your say is worthless.

Ultimately the vast majority of TDs (with perhaps a small few notable exceptions) are only interested in one thing, getting re-elected and keeping their seat. That's all they're interested in. In the case of ministers, they usually keep their seat comfortably enough (before now anyway) and so their priority is to party politics. Look after the party interests first and foremost (and next time around, given the circumstances, they'll be anxious as never before to hold onto their own seats aswell).

But even allowing for all that, I do believe that there's significant discord among the backbenchers, who are reluctantly admitting what the rest of us already know, that Cowen is a busted flush. Even allowing for the fact that he took power at a very difficult time, he's been a hopeless Taoiseach. He has floundered around like a headless chicken, no leadership, no direction. What little bit of leadership there's been has come from Lenihan.

Not only that, but he's a dreadfully poor communicator, has no idea at all how to speak to the media or how to address people. He just gets defensive when challenged, almost aggressively at times. I had great hopes for Cowen when he became Taoiseach, I really thought he's be a big imrovement on Bertie. But sadly not. I should have known better though, since Cowen was Bertie's right hand man through all those years of waste and incompetence. History will not look kindly on either of them.

Darsad

If you want to lead or be a leader you need to get ,encourage or persuade people to follow you Cowen is quite simply dreadful at this ! his decision not to address the nation and explain his rational behind commiting generations to paying for the sins of a few is testiment to his inability as a communicator