NO MATTER who wins the struggle for leadership of Fine Gael this week, the party will suffer considerable damage. The desperate measures employed by Enda Kenny, in sacking deputy leader Richard Bruton and appealing for support to a special meeting of the parliamentary party on Thursday, are certain to amplify divisions while providing no guarantee that the leadership issue will go away. But, the die is cast now. There is no doubting that the Kenny factor is, and has been, a real political issue long before the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll results last Friday and Saturday.
The convulsions shaking Fine Gael are a welcome relief to Fianna Fáil, and particularly to Taoiseach Brian Cowen whose own competence has been challenged within his party in recent days. In light of these developments, tonight’s Dáil debate on the Fine Gael motion of “no confidence” in Mr Cowen will have the cutting edge of a rubber carving knife. Fianna Fáil backbenchers will be granted rescue from a most unexpected quarter.
That certainly seems to be the conclusion reached by Mr Kenny when Mr Bruton confirmed he would submit a motion of “no confidence” to today’s front bench meeting. By sacking his deputy leader and able finance spokesman and preparing an appeal to the wider parliamentary party, Mr Kenny has engaged in scorched earth tactics. The next step in this saga will be acted out at the front bench meeting this morning.
Mr Kenny has been extremely successful in rebuilding Fine Gael from the shattered remnants of the 2002 general election. The party enjoyed a revival five years later. It displaced Fianna Fáil as the largest party in the State in the local elections of 2009. His success as an organiser has not, however, been replicated in his public popularity. His handling of George Lee’s brief membership of the party, along with “solo runs” on the abolition of the Seanad and EU oversight of national budgets caused internal and external concern. Last year, he apologised to his Oireachtas colleagues for poor interview skills and promised to do better.
Mr Bruton’s challenge has been presented by his critics as both damaging and badly timed. It has certainly fractured an internal Fine Gael cohesion that has existed in recent years. He could, of course, have launched a bid to become leader on earlier occasions. But there is no such thing as “good timing” for a challenge that splits a party and encourages personal ambition at all levels. The prizes at stake are positions in government.
The dismissal of Mr Bruton will deprive the party of its most valuable asset in these economic times. His assertion that Mr Kenny lacks the ability to deal with the country’s difficulties is seriously damaging and may resonate with the electorate. At this fraught time, Mr Kenny’s colleagues have to decide whether he really is Taoiseach material. This issue must be settled, once and for all.