The old world of Irish politics still exists
Saturday, June 24th, 2006The death of Charles Haughey marked the end of a chapter in Irish politics, there is no doubt of that. To assume that it also signals the beginning of a new style of politics in Ireland, however is wishful thinking.
Haughey was all about personality, he laid the foundations for the egotistical political system we have today where politicians work for their own benefit rather than the greater good. To assume that the death of this past master will allow us to move on is understandable but going by the bickering inside one of the coalition parties this week it is clear that things have not yet moved on.
Michael McDowell’s attempts at personal glory are unmatched in modern Irish politics; he may work for a party but he does his best to ensure that the party works for him too. When he was forced to back down from Café Bar licensing he claimed that the deregulation of resturaunt licences was what he wanted all the time. When it was revealed that someone had failed in their job in relation to statutory rape legislation he said that he would come out smelling of roses, he then did his best to ensure that was what happened by passing the buck to whoever was nearest. When the DPP couldn’t give him the case he wanted on Frank Connelly, he publicly and cowardly convicted the man himself, when it was made obvious that licensing laws which allowed pubs to refuse under 21’s was against equality legislation he, as minister for Justice, Law Reform and Equality, allowed for the discrimination of 18-20 year olds.
Now, just one month after the statutory rape controversy he has attempted a coup within the PD’s. He has said the time is right for a new leader and that Mary Harney promised him the job.
It is hard to understand how 12 months before a general election is the right time to change leader; the PD’s aren’t polling extremely well but it’s not a sinking ship just yet. Besides this, as Harney pointed out it isn’t her place to give such a title to anyone, the party is democratic and so is the leadership contest.
It must be the case that McDowell needed a pick me up after the public flogging he recieved last month; if anything got off lightly with the whole affair but his ego must have been badly damaged all the same.
Sadly for him this power struggle has ended just as badly with his canvassing being completely ignored by the party faithful, there’s every chance that he has even damaged his future attempts too.
McDowell operates on his own agenda, and all his actions are an attempt to manipulate things into his way of thinking. Be it condemning people who are innocent, convincing the public that he wanted the thing he wasn’t legislating for or arguing that as Justice Minister and Attorney General it was impossible for him to know about impending legal challenges.
This PD pact will probably hold until July 2007, at which point the gloves will come off again, of course Harney is no fool either. McDowell stands the chance of not getting re-elected, at which point he would be foolish to even consider a leadership battle, saying that the PD’s are going to poll worse than before and may even be in opposition, if that happens McDowell might have a fighting chance (assuming he has a seat too). Should McDowell try and fail in a leadership bid, expect to see a new political party form quite quickly as Michael has all the personality needed to become the Kilroy of Irish politics.
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