Leo Varadkar resigns as Taoiseach

I wouldn't be sounding the death knell of FG just yet. The new leader (if the right one is chosen) will have a year to steady the ship in the context of SF support slipping. If they elect Paschal then they have a chance, if they go for Simon Harris then it'll be 50:50, they they go for Helen McEntee then that's the end of FG in government for a long time.

The biggest influence on who gets to form the next government will be FF. If they get rid of MM quickly and select a leader who is happy to go into government with SF then that's the make up of the next government. If they elect an anti SF leader then you are looking at the current government plus maybe some independents continuing on.

Varadkar has no one but himself to blame for the way things have turned out. He had a big wave of support behind him when he became Taoiseach (I was a supporter) and to be fair he did a reasonable job during Covid, but over the last couple of years he has seemed disinterested, petulant and removed from the job. He has failed to get any real traction on the rental crisis and the associated brain drain of key workers. In particular he has led a government that through sheer ineptitude and arrogance has allowed the far right to gain a foothold in Ireland and is now being influenced by mob rule. Any legacy he once had is now tarnished.

This is a great day.

Any time I read someone say "Worst taoiseach ever", I just think "Aww, bless! Are you home early from school?".

He was a turncoat. He started out as pro-marriage and pro-life then became the poster boy against both. No backbone.

A stopped clock and all that. That's a first time for me to agree with Paul too

He won't be living in a tent.

He'll have a fatter pension than anything you or I could look forward to.

Since he came in the country is less safe, we have less money, we are more anxious and divided as a society, there are more immigrants, an absolute disaster.

Only Ireland could have a gay Taoiseach simultaneously with gay men being beheaded in Sligo. The country is an absolute mess.

I laughed out loud when he said FG would gain seats at the next GE.

Classic Leo move?

When did he do similar before?

Yeah but even the fact its paul murphy just makes me want to disagree.

I'd doubt it.

He barely scraped in as a TD the last time, the 8th count it was. They got such a kicking in the recent referenda they're still in a spin, a lot of which was down to his arrogance and hubris towards the Irish people. He'll likely not be elected the next term if he ran. He's generally despised.

He's become political poison. I'd say this is a shove more than a jump. FG know they're in bother for the next election, Leo front and centre and their dead for the next 10.

I'd say it's nothing more than FG protecting itself by removing a massive negative on their side.

I reckon Biden got pissed on Paddy's night and offered Leo the VP role.

I missed what he said, did he say he will not be running for re-election as a TD?