The Fine Gael thread

[imtommygunn]

Best thing he'd ever done rather than worst...

I never liked him at all. The phrase "if he were a lollipop he'd eat himself" always sprung to mind but he did ok with the Brexit stuff and he's spoke up more than most on Palestine. Always felt he was basically a tory.

[johnnycool]

Best thing he'd ever done rather than worst...

I never liked him at all. The phrase "if he were a lollipop he'd eat himself" always sprung to mind but he did ok with the Brexit stuff and he's spoke up more than most on Palestine. Always felt he was basically a tory.

I think his Palestine speech may have played a part in his sudden resignation.

[imtommygunn]

Wouldn't be overly surprised.

[seafoid]

Undoubtedly, his greatest error as Taoiseach was to give Boris Johnson a compromise deal on Brexit when they met in the Wirral that time. Tories were sinking fast without it and it allowed Johnson put through an agreement he subsequently tried to renege on and never had any intention of upholding.

Are you saying you'd rather he had ignored the opportunity to lock down no hard border so that he could sink the Tories?

I don't think that was a mistake. Boris Johnson walked into a trap. He couldn't reopen the border and he couldn't get a good deal.

Agree, but Johnson did what he does, made the best of a bad job by saying he'd "got Brexit done" and won an election on the back of it.  Varadkar was more than happy to see the open border secured - definitely not an error, never mind his greatest error, in my view.

Johnson is an opportunist who doesn't think strategically. He is now   a hasbeen. The institutions are up and running, the 2 women were promoting NI business in DC last week, the DUP have accepted reality, the tories are facing electoral meltdown and the border is safe.

It would have been hard to predict that in 2017.

[mouview]

Undoubtedly, his greatest error as Taoiseach was to give Boris Johnson a compromise deal on Brexit when they met in the Wirral that time. Tories were sinking fast without it and it allowed Johnson put through an agreement he subsequently tried to renege on and never had any intention of upholding.

Are you saying you'd rather he had ignored the opportunity to lock down no hard border so that he could sink the Tories?

Tories were approaching meltdown at the time and falling asunder. They could neither go backwards or forwards. A good chance there may have been another referendum even. As Napoleon said, never interrupt your enemy when they're making a mistake.

[seafoid]

Harris is being lauded for his communication and his mastery of detail but the health service is a mess and he was the minister for a number of years. He may turn out to be another Brian Cowen.

[Aaron Boone]

Undoubtedly, his greatest error as Taoiseach was to give Boris Johnson a compromise deal on Brexit when they met in the Wirral that time. Tories were sinking fast without it and it allowed Johnson put through an agreement he subsequently tried to renege on and never had any intention of upholding.

Are you saying you'd rather he had ignored the opportunity to lock down no hard border so that he could sink the Tories?

I don't think that was a mistake. Boris Johnson walked into a trap. He couldn't reopen the border and he couldn't get a good deal.

Agree, but Johnson did what he does, made the best of a bad job by saying he'd "got Brexit done" and won an election on the back of it.  Varadkar was more than happy to see the open border secured - definitely not an error, never mind his greatest error, in my view.

Johnson is an opportunist who doesn't think strategically. He is now   a hasbeen. The institutions are up and running, the 2 women were promoting NI business in DC last week, the DUP have accepted reality, the tories are facing electoral meltdown and the border is safe.

It would have been hard to predict that in 2017.

Though obviously no border at all is preferable rather than the current one being safe. But I'm nitpicking.

[Bord na Mona man]

Leo seemed a bit too aloof to appeal to Joe Public.
While he ticked the boxes of being gay and half-Indian, he was the wrong kind of gay for the liberal set.
On the other hand, for all the accusations of being a Tory, he didn't deliver anything in particular on his promises to those who got up early in the morning.

For all that, during Brexit, it was hilarious to see how much he drove Daily Mail, little Englander, Brexiteers up the wall. By just being unruffled and non-plussed by what was unfolding.
They really couldn't countenance a Paddy PM who didn't prostrate himself in front of John Bull.

And that was precisely the whole British negotiation strategy. Hammer out a deal with the EU and then renege on the Irish bits as they expected to be able to bully Eire.

[Eire90]

harris took 15 rounds to get voted  in in wicklow

[Rossfan]

What's that got to do with the price of turnips?

[Eire90]

it shows hes hardly the peoples choice

[Rossfan]

You obviously don't understand PR

[RedHand88]

harris took 15 rounds to get voted  in in wicklow

Completely irrelevant. That's how PR-STV works. Fine Gael ran 3 candidates.

[Rossfan]

Harris is being lauded for his communication and his mastery of detail but the health service is a mess and he was the minister for a number of years. He may turn out to be another Brian Cowen.

Tell me any Minister who was a success at Health.....

[marty34]

Harris is being lauded for his communication and his mastery of detail but the health service is a mess and he was the minister for a number of years. He may turn out to be another Brian Cowen.

Tell me any Minister who was a success at Health.....

Here comes the FG defender...right on cue.