CHARLIE McCREEVY is something of an odd man out uncomfortable with the status quo and frequently involved in political intrigue. He conjures conspiracy like a magnet attracts nails.
Charming, stubborn, intelligent and politically astute, he has amused and infuriated his Fianna Fail colleagues by turn during his 20 years in the Dail. Ignoring the "club" rules, he acknowledges publicly the inherent weakness of politicians and calls a stroke a stroke.
A Cassandra style figure, Mr McCreevy enjoys recalling his old pronouncements which were borne out by political events. But while unsolicited economic advice to all and sundry may have been the trademark of the Kildare TD, he disappointed in terms of general performance during his two terms as government minister.
The message of the 47 year old accountant has been unvarying over 20 years: cut government spending, reduce taxes and slash the national debt. It led to him being briefly expelled from the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party in 1982 when his comments on the need for fiscal rectitude were viewed as an attack on the leadership of Charles Haughey. A decade of backbench skirmishing followed, during which he toyed with, but rejected, the notion of joining the newly formed Progressive Democrats in 1986. Ever since, his tough economic message has engendered a lukewarm response among his more pragmatic party colleagues.
Used as a go between by Mr Haughey in the formation of a Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats government in 1989, Mr McCreevy was passed over when Cabinet positions were allocated. In reaction, he supported Albert Reynolds in his challenge for the leadership against Mr Haughey and, in 1991, he was rewarded by being appointed Minister for Social Welfare. When savings were demanded, he practised what he had preached, cutting the cost of welfare payments and reducing benefits to workers under the PRSI health insurance system. The "dirty dozen" was born.
The crude changes were criticised by the Catholic Bishops Conference, lambasted by the opposition parties and resented by some of his Fianna Fail colleagues. There was talk of dropping him from Cabinet. But the staunch support he had offered to Mr Reynolds told in his favour.
He survived the formation of the Fianna Fail/Labour Party government in 1993, but was moved to a "safer" Department. He became Minister for Trade and Tourism, maintained a fairly low profile and presided over the restructuring of Bord Failte.
The fall of that government and the accession of Bertie Ahern as a "consensus" party leader saw the surprise promotion of Mr McCreevy as Fianna Fail's spokesman on finance. The appointment was designed to detach him from the Reynolds/GeogheganQuinn wing of the party while giving Fianna Fail a conservative economic image.
It was less than successful. Mr McCreevy continued with his "unfashionable" friendships within the party and, in a booming economic situation, he fought an uphill battle in his criticisms of the government. Within the party, some members felt he was lazy and uninventive. Last budget day, he plumbed rock bottom. His homespun, off the cuff response to Ruairi Quinn's financial proposals was nothing short of a political disaster. Bertie Ahern was said to be furious.
Since then, he has performed well on the details of the Finance Bill. But, as a gambler himself, Mr McCreevy must recognise that the odds on his becoming a future minister for finance have lengthened.