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Simon Harris, the TikTok Taoiseach

Cyclonius

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Simon Harris has finally declared his intention to seek the Fine Gael leadership:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/im-in-i-want-to-be-the-next-leader-simon-harris-declares-fine-gael-leadership-bid-paving-way-to-become-next-taoiseach/a2124486368.html

Some of the commentators are running interference for him, talking about how shrewd he was to outmanoeuvre his rivals, but like others in the Leo Varadkar resignation thread, it seems more a case that the experienced politicians are happy to stand back, and let this genius take the flak that comes with large losses in the local and general elections, at which point we might see another change in leadership.

From a personal level, Harris really seems to be the wrong choice. He made a complete mess of the CervicalCheck cancer scandal, reigned over the ongoing disaster that is the new children's hospital, thought COVID-19 was named so because there were 18 prior coronaviruses, and was generally a complete failure as minister for health. He has no real life experience or background outside of politics. He appears to be even more vapid and lightweight than Leo was. He is not what the country needs to tackle its problems.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/03/21/leo-varadkar-resigns-taoiseach-fine-gael-next-leader-simon-harris-paschal-donohoe-helen-mcentee/

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Comments

JPCN1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987652#Comment_121987652

Which would be ideal for FG but a disaster for the country. They’d be a very uneasy coalition and many in FF will balk at the idea of it. Probably short lived and FG can find a leader and regroup.

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987914#Comment_121987914

The clarification was because varadkar said 50k a year isn't doable

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987889#Comment_121987889

The speech text was "We will build 250,000 homes over the next five years." Any assumption that this was simply 50k per year was fairly simplistic.

drury..

Harris is clearly following the thread😁

He's not promising a steady 50,000 houses per year

House building will be ramped up to hit the 250k 5yr target😁

https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0407/1442169-housing-promise-not-smooth-delivery-of-50-000-per-year/

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987842#Comment_121987842

Yet the political parties who have sleepwalked the country in the problems you mentioned seem to think they can suddenly fix them.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987821#Comment_121987821

Yabber, yabber, yabber… the TikTok Taoiseach is a fine moniker. All mirrors and a bit of smoke thrown in.

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987818#Comment_121987818

We've sleepwalked into a lot of problems in this country . It's like a big logjam everywhere you look

Housing

Infrastructure

Roads

Health

Education

Law and Order

Immigration

Hippodrome Song Owl

This interview on Radio 1 is desperate. He comes across as deluded, dishonest, and unbelievably over confident and in love with himself. Not an ounce of humility or acceptance of any mistakes on his part in any of his previous endeavours. He sounds like someone who has just done an interview prep course and learned off a formulaic response for each scenario. Uninspiring, concerning, dire.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987733#Comment_121987733

Members of the government have blocked some property building in their constituencies. One problem we have is too many build to let properties being built. Another problem is allowing properties being built when the local area can't cope, and a good example of this is the apartment development being built in Howth right. Local GP's are not accepting new patients, there is a waiting list for the local schools and the traffic in the area will be chaos.

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987594#Comment_121987594

Sinn Fein would be the best thing ever if magic money trees did exist😁

drury..

The RTE article said Harris said "Fine Gael would build 250,000 houses"

Thats why I posted on the houses😁

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987678#Comment_121987678

If he can stop political parties from blocking every project it would be a massive help for people looking to buy

That's one easy fix and will certain shut down parties who have spent 13 years trying to make the housing crisis worse

skimpydoo

FG have been in power for the past 13 years, and how does Simon think he can the fix housing crisis when in the past 13 years they have done SFA about it.

Cluedo Monopoly

We could have by-elections within 6 months of June if some of the TDs get MEP seats. Barry Cowen for example. Still think we will see an October election.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987623#Comment_121987623

The numbers won't be there for a stable coalition between the two anyway. FG are in wipe out territory with so many retirements.

They'll be depending on new unknown faces to get elected under their toxic brand. Don't see it happening.

I think you'll have a SF-FF-SocDem coalition after the election.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987084#Comment_121987084

Not all of them but a fair chunk of them.

JPCN1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987606#Comment_121987606

wouldn’t help any future coalition chance between the two…

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987513#Comment_121987513

I don't agree. I don't think FF will do as bad at the local and Europeans as FG and FF will look for a reason to collapse the coalition. Some sort of convenient scandal will erupt in a FG department.

If the government make it to 2025, I'll be shocked.

gerogerigegege

I don't know who I'll vote for but certainly none of the main parties.

Fg,labour,ff,greenssoc dems, pbp and sonn fein are a danger to the country.

I mean that literally. Dangerous.

zell12

Guardian reads Boards.ie!

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987431#Comment_121987431

his coalition fellow travellers will pull the rug from under him rather than see him earn potential voting credit with the electorate. How else are FF and The Greens going to re-differentiate themselves having been together so cozy and indistinguishable, for so long? One of them is going to have to storm out in a huff, to gain whatever higher moral ground might be available.

Don't anticipate this at all.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/03/21/martin-and-ryan-to-insist-varadkars-successor-commits-to-coalition-going-full-term/

If there is an election in 2024 it'll be at Harris's own instigation IMO

Cluedo Monopoly

SImon and Helen will ditch the Hate Speech bill so. They will be afraid to push it thru now. The only thing to get pushed now will be soundbites. Election in October. FF very quiet at the moment.

JPCN1

listening to BOC show and contributors saying MCEntee safe in justice which, if correct, means he won’t be much different and will be a short term leader as many have surmised. Probably best for FG to take a step back in opposition and regroup.

tom23

listening to RTE radio brendan O’connor it seems Helen McEntee will be kept on as Justice minister. I guess some folks are untouchable regardless of their ability.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987403#Comment_121987403

Harris made a lot of promises in Health too and failed at all of them. Ask the Cervical Check and Scoliosis patients about Harris. And let's not forget the Children's hospital.

Ger Roe

- Meet the new Boss .... Same as the Old Boss? -

I watched Simon Harris give his address to the FG faithful last night and I thought it was an uninspiring event for anyone outside of the assembled gallery.

He addressed the crowd as though he was an unassociated independent outside consultant that has now parachuted in to sort out all the issues that the party itself has failed to see and address.The sycophantic nodders and clappers that cheered every word, are the same nodders and clappers that actually have the responsibility and power to make the very changes that he was talking about ... and they have had that power and responsibility for many years now. I could see Leo squirm in his seat as Simon effectively said that he was going to clear up his mess .... it is a pity that Simon and his apparently newly invigorated colleagues didn't express that intention much sooner. It was an uninspiring address, preaching to a converted cohort that I suspect doesn't believe the hype either. Unless there is a seismic cabinet shake up next week, the hot air will simply evaporate, as it has done at every other Ard Fheis of every other Irish political party. The fact that cabinet posts are held by strict arrangement between three parties, means that while a very limited ministerial shuffle is possible, it will obviously not be of the seismic magnitude required. Would a shuffle of only the FG ministerial deck not be seen as a bad reflection on the party... an admission specifically that the current FG appointees have been ineffective?

As for the pledge to carry on with this government until the scheduled term ends in March 2025..... does anyone actually believe that? Even if Simon is a new energetic force for change and he does make some progressive headway in the limited time available, his coalition fellow travellers will pull the rug from under him rather than see him earn potential voting credit with the electorate. How else are FF and The Greens going to re-differentiate themselves having been together so cozy and indistinguishable, for so long? One of them is going to have to storm out in a huff, to gain whatever higher moral ground might be available. As soon as a politically opportune time arises, there will be a crush at the exit doors of Leinster House (leave your luggage behind, political life jackets are under your Dáil seat).

To conclude on Simon's inaugural leader's speech, I was not impressed. Fine words butter no parsnips..... and we may not even have parsnips later on in the year, if this terrible weather continues. (how are we doing on our environmental change targets ? .... don't even ask.)

For full disclosure - I have no particular political party allegiance, I distrust them all equally.

(Sorry for the format in this post - I copied from Facebook post I made and it seems to have adopted some paragraph formatting.)

retalivity

Bought the Sindo today for the first time in years, there is some amount of guff in it re Harris's speech yesterday. Really pushing the "New Energy" angle, even though they've been in government for 13 years and the new dear leader has been mishandling other ministries for the past 5 years

pureza

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987349#Comment_121987349

Aye but you must remember the EU allows 'over' spending on bank bail outs,covid and refugee's but not housing

If Sinn Féin can find some way in the future of convincing the EU that the money they drew down for that hasnt been spent on houses (even if it has) ,theyre on a winner and we won't be fined millions a day for breaching EU borrowing rules

Life and membership of the EU is like that

tom23

when the alternative government with the magic tree? Is this government the one with magic tree considering the spend on ipa centres and everything else?

pureza

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121987171#Comment_121987171

Yes but the electorate had no alternative then,plus 7 or 8 years repairing finances and most of our builders taking flight

You do have a choice now,albeit cosmetic unless they double builders wages and offer them free houses on the estates they build

You will have higher taxes if the alternative government gets in because theres no magic money tree and you wont have 300k houses