Leo Varadkar post Taoiseach

Jonny one

If Michael Martin is Taoiseach in a few months time will Leo stick around leading the opposition?

Paging Jonny two, agent one has been a dismal failure.

splinter65

Jonny one wrote: »

If Michael Martin is Taoiseach in a few months time will Leo stick around leading the opposition?

I can’t see it. Look at Jeremy Corbyn there yesterday as mad as a box of frogs ranting and raving over at the government benches and them laughing back at him.
Leo wouldn’t be up for that at all.

is_that_so

Jonny one wrote: »

If Michael Martin is Taoiseach in a few months time will Leo stick around leading the opposition?

Why would he quit? The result will be tight anyway and still could go either way. It depends what platform or message both use to campaign on. We're not in Corbyn territory at all.

Yurt2

There is a big enough Coveney faction in the parliamentary party to make him the inevitable FG leader after an election defeat.

A good thing probably, Leo has been a very watery Taoiseach and a few years in most people don't know what he's about. He's an aloof CEO / managerial type. Looking at him on the television, I just don't get the sense he cares all that much - kind of like he's managing an account rather than leading a nation.

BDI

No I’d say he will take a seat on a board of a multinational company or two. Maybe give speeches at Christmas parties of vulture fund type gatherings for huge money way above market value.

Jonny one

Jonny one wrote: »

If Michael Martin is Taoiseach in a few months time will Leo stick around leading the opposition?

No. The world is his oyster.

KWAG2019

Depends on how close the result is. If he thinks he can get another shot at screwing the country even more he’ll be hanging around. Otherwise he’ll go back into General Practice.


As he has made it so rewarding and manageable.

Beechwoodspark

Yurt! wrote: »

There is a big enough Coveney faction in the parliamentary party to make him the inevitable FG leader after an election defeat.

A good thing probably, Leo has been a very watery Taoiseach and a few years in most people don't know what he's about. He's an aloof CEO / managerial type. Looking at him on the television, I just don't get the sense he cares all that much - kind of like he's managing an account rather than leading a nation.

That sums up exactly how I see him too. Thank you for putting into words that vague sense I had of him.

Loafing Oaf

KWAG2019 wrote: »

Depends on how close the result is. If he thinks he can get another shot at screwing the country even more he’ll be hanging around.

Yep, I don't think he'd be happy vacating the FG leadership without having 'won' an election on his watch.

No chance. His ego wouldn't sanction such a role.

boombang

I was a big fan of pre taoiseach Leo, but he's really shown himself to be badly lacking and I don't see how he'd have a mandate within FG to stay as leader as he's done so poorly as leader of government.

tuxy

Leo will be working in Europe if he can secure any position that wouldn't be seen as a massive step down.

is_that_so

boombang wrote: »

I was a big fan of pre taoiseach Leo, but he's really shown himself to be badly lacking and I don't see how he'd have a mandate within FG to stay as leader as he's done so poorly as leader of government.

Parties don't just change leaders for no reason. Disliking a leader is not really an excuse if the party are generally satisfied to have him as leader. A very poor election would put him under pressure but the current "fluid" state of our politics means that we too could end up like other countries in delivering a completely hung parliament. I think it's more likely that he will get another full Dail and an election and then step aside, possibly for Coveney or maybe a woman will emerge(Helen McEntee?).

boombang

boombang wrote: »

I was a big fan of pre taoiseach Leo, but he's really shown himself to be badly lacking and I don't see how he'd have a mandate within FG to stay as leader as he's done so poorly as leader of government.

Why were you a big fan?

He was a dismal failure in his ministerial roles. He has always been the personification of fur coat no knickers.

boombang

Deleted User wrote: »

Why were you a big fan?

He was a dismal failure in his ministerial roles. He has always been the personification of fur coat no knickers.

I was suckered by his "tells it like it is" persona. I gave him the benefit of the doubt over his health tenure as nothing blew up and it's a difficult portfolio (admittedly he played for time blatantly). I've seen him demonstrate insufficient leadership and substance while taoiseach and I realised I was wrong about him.

Ulysses Gaze

Brussels, the UN or head of some NGO.

Loafing Oaf

boombang wrote: »

I was suckered by his "tells it like it is" persona.

Was it not apparent that he was cultivating that persona to get himself noticed and advance his career? Okay a lot of people might have chuckled when he made the dig about Garret Fitzgerald 'writing boring articles in the Irish Times', and it's hard to imagine any other FG TD saying it, but really what is that sort of thing telling you about his suitability for high office?

tonycascarino

Retire, get a massive pension and other perks at the grand old age of 40. He will have plenty of time to meet his hero Kylie Minogue then.

is_that_so

Just by way of reference - leadership of the two main parties. Leo has only been there for 2 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leader_of_Fine_Gael

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fianna_F%C3%A1il#Leadership_and_president

StupidLikeAFox

Well he previously said he wanted to be out of politics by 50, distanced himself from those remarks last year but he has built an international reputation now with Brexit etc, so I'd say he would be well sought after by private business or politically in europe. He is only 40 and has reached the top of the pile in Ireland politically, does he really want to be battling out elections for the next 25 odd years? I'd say he will be out of politics by 50 as he originally said

www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/taoiseach-regrets-saying-he-would-be-out-of-politics-by-age-51-1.3343408%3fmode=amp

Beechwoodspark

Also-the hypocrisy of him criticizing Verona Murphy.

He made some very iffy comments for publicity earlier in his career.

Fr_Dougal

Do people really want to go back to the days of Fianna F and the Galway tent?

IAMAMORON

Personally can't see ff getting into government unless they succumb to a proper coalition with fg.

I appreciate this is a varadkar bashing thread, but I cannot see anyone else being teashop after the next election.

Martin will be need to resign if anyone.

Suckit

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Do people really want to go back to the days of Fianna F and the Galway tent?

Whatever they want, I believe that it will become apparent they don't want this FG.

boombang

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Was it not apparent that he was cultivating that persona to get himself noticed and advance his career? Okay a lot of people might have chuckled when he made the dig about Garret Fitzgerald 'writing boring articles in the Irish Times', and it's hard to imagine any other FG TD saying it, but really what is that sort of thing telling you about his suitability for high office?

Fully agree that it was pretty obvious that he was doing it deliberately, but I did think he might follow through with some actual honesty and substance when in high office. Also, remember I was a big fan of his among the ranks of politicians: it's not hard to look good against the rank and file goons we have, especially in Ireland.

McMurphy

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Also-the hypocrisy of him criticizing Verona Murphy.

He made some very iffy comments for publicity earlier in his career.

That's nothing, a few years before he came out, and the referendum, he was stringently against SSM.

He wasn't long outing himself and fully supporting our (SSM) when he seen which way the wind was blowing pre referendum.

KevRossi

He reminds me of some of the department managers at work. When on the floor or in team leader roles they spend all their time getting noticed by sending around emails with "let's smash the target this month, who is with me" crap. Just do it to get noticed, upper management swallow the crap, promote them and once in a position of responsibilty it's a bit bloody obvious the emperor has no clothes and they inevitably fail and move on to a similar role in another company.

Leo was loved by the media as from summer 2007 he was always ready with a sound bite. They helped pave his way upwards with Kenny, and Kenny gave him a ministerial position to shut him up.

He was found out when after a couple of months in health he said 'it can't be fixed' and this as a practicing GP. All style and soundbites, no substance.

He'll get a cushy number to go with his €100K+ pension, possibly a number in Brussels where the role is dictated to him by a few mandarins.

If he does not become Taoiseach after the next election, he is toast, will have to go to the backbenches and remain quiet (hard for him to do) and if he resigns to take up a post elsewhere he'll force a bye election that nobody usually wants. I got the impression that he built his career on becoming Taoiseach as it was a personal ambition, not a an idealistic one, he now seems bored with the position most days, the only time he looks happy is when he's been photographed by the foreign media in the company of other world leaders.

StupidLikeAFox

IAMAMORON wrote: »

.

Martin will be need to resign if anyone.

He won't want to be the only FF leader to never have been taoiseach

Loafing Oaf

KevRossi wrote: »

If he does not become Taoiseach after the next election, he is toast,

Not sure this is a given. I think most FG members will recognise they are running to stand still going into this election, given they've being in power for a decade. I doubt there'll be an immediate heave against Leo if FG are only a few seats behind FF.

IAMAMORON

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

He won't want to be the only FF leader to never have been taoiseach

All political careers end in failure. He is only popular in Cork and if I am being honest I wouldn't be backing him to get FF back in government. It would not surprise me if they lost seats and had to form a coalition with FG. If that happens he would need to consider his position as leader. You would have to think the likes of Michael McGrath are better candidates to rejuvenate a very stagnant party.