Fianna Fáil Leadership Challenge Underway

_Kaiser_ · 16-01-2011 08:10PM

Breaking News have it up now - seems to support the BBC's claim that Cowen refused the resignation:

16/01/2011 - 19:56:16
The Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin has said he believes Fianna Fail needs a change of leader.

Micheál Martin has told a press conference in Dublin tonight that he has offered his resignation to the Taoiseach, but Brian Cowen said it "wasn't necessary".

It follows Mr. Cowen's decision earlier to put his leadership to the test.

The Taoiseach has tabled a vote of confidence in himself at the next meeting of the Parlimantary Party on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/martin-wants-cowen-out-489566.html#ixzz1BENXiKU6

Biggins · 16-01-2011 08:10PM

nkay1985 wrote: »

Yeah it's a very strange one isn't it?

Maybe, maybe not.
Martin might be putting up a token effort in order to show the public that the party is still united and resolved to see things thru to the end!
By officially opposing Cowen, he might be in fact doing him and the party a favour!
His reward in this ongoing play might come later after the GE!

If there is an org' that is good at subterfuge, Fianna Fail wins that prize.

jks411 · 16-01-2011 08:13PM

Yeah stupid fianna fail for not doing this at 6.02 tomorrow then we would have been sorted

_Kaiser_ · 16-01-2011 08:15PM

gandalf wrote: »

Ah come on they are nearly Civil Servants they don't do weekends! News has to happen during normal office hours. Its the News fault for not happening tomorrow between 9-5.

True

and I laughed when I read that, but then I remembered they DID cover Cowen's conference earlier!

SB-08 · 16-01-2011 08:16PM

What a farce. Yet AGAIN we have to rely in International media to find out what is going on in our own country. Sky News had it as their main stroy yet in our own county Fair bloody City is a higher priority. :rolleyes:

Firstly why on earth did Clowen refuse to accept Martin's resignation? Does he think it's acceptable to have a Minister who has no confidence in his leadership? If so, the man is an even bigger joke than before. Secondly Martin has said he will vote against Cowen on Tuesday, but has he said he feels he would be a better leader? How on earth does he expect Cowen to lose without the party having a clear alternative? The mind boggles.

Where is Hanafin and Lenihan? What position will they take here?

Mr.Micro · 16-01-2011 08:17PM

Biggins wrote: »

Maybe, maybe not.
Martin might be putting up a token effort in order to show the public that the party is still united and resolved to see things thru to the end!
By officially opposing Cowen, he might be in fact doing him and the party a favour!
His reward in this ongoing play might come later after the GE!

If there is an org' that is good at subterfuge, Fianna Fail wins that prize.

Have his cake and eat it ?. Its all a ploy then it looks like playing party politics at the expense of the country. Biffo probably has the numbers and if he succeeds then Labour's motion will be obsolete. Need a bit of Cilit bang to get rid of the stubborn Biffo not the lightweight Martin.

gandalf · 16-01-2011 08:18PM

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

True and I laughed when I read that, but then I remembered they DID cover Cowen's conference earlier!

Oh I realise that I was being bold

However if they covered Cowen's conference they should have covered this as well. They are showing total bias towards the status quo and they seem as clueless as those in Government to the raw anger within the General Public at the moment.

Oh and fair play to Martin for stepping up unlike a lot of his Fianna Fail colleagues.

joey54 · 16-01-2011 08:20PM

Our country is a mess at the moment. Everything is being completely overshadowed by the FF leadership debate.

This issue is only further damaging Ireland Inc.

Greens, its time you actually did something and pulled the plug. End this debacle and let FF continue their leadership debate in private. Ireland has suffered enough in their hands.

hotmail.com · 16-01-2011 08:21PM

BBC News and Sky News are 24 hour news channels, RTE 1 is not.

They will deal with Martin's speech on the 9.

More people would be pissed off if they interrupted At Your Service or Fair City.

The RTE conspiracy thing is getting jaded.

No word from Hanafin yet?

joey54 · 16-01-2011 08:25PM

hotmail.com wrote: »

No word from Hanafin yet?

Doubt we'll get a statement from her before the 9pm news.

InchicoreDude · 16-01-2011 08:26PM

BBC News and Sky News are 24 hour news channels, RTE 1 is not.

But they didnt cover it on their website either. In fact, a replay of cowens conference finished just as Martins was beginning so they should have put it out on their website.

_Kaiser_ · 16-01-2011 08:27PM

hotmail.com wrote: »

BBC News and Sky News are 24 hour news channels, RTE 1 is not.

They will deal with Martin's speech on the 9.

More people would be pissed off if they interrupted At Your Service or Fair City.

The RTE conspiracy thing is getting jaded.

No word from Hanafin yet?

Umm.. I'd imagine a row about who is to lead the ruling party/country is a bit more important than the z-list acting in Fair City no?

Besides, as Gandalf and myself said above, if they covered Cowen's (not part of the normal schedule) press conference earlier, then they should have covered the response of the main opposition.

hotmail.com · 16-01-2011 08:28PM

joey54 wrote: »

Doubt we'll get a statement from her before the 9pm news.

She might wait until Morning Ireland or Pat Kenny after "some reflection".

If she fudges this, her credibility is shattered, her seat is definitely not safe in Dun Laoighre.

numbnutz · 16-01-2011 08:29PM

i'd say the army are gettin ready now as we speak to quell the civil unrest:D

spider guardian · 16-01-2011 08:30PM

rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. this is utterly pointless. this is wasting valuable time and energy that needs to be spent solving the county's problems. oh may the election come soon

gandalf · 16-01-2011 08:30PM

It will be interesting to see if any of the other leadership challengers pop their heads above the parapet now?

Will the Greens end this farce now and collapse the whole rotten Government or will they hang on to the bitter end?

Will the Alexander Hotels bar survive to post conference binge?

The answers to these and other questions soon

Biggins · 16-01-2011 08:31PM

LOL - So what we have now is a comedy of errors!

We have Cowen supposedly looking masterful soldiering on.
We have Martin supposedly being brave and taking Cowen on.
We have the Fianna Fail party being forced to unite behind a leader.
We have a gaggle of geese making noise saying the party needs change - which is what the public want - and FF know they want more to the point!
We have the whole media floating around Fianna Fail as they maybe are out on a show for the masses.

...And all this while the country needs to be run!

Honestly, this whole mess is a sick joke and the public are the ones being distracted by the shows magicians.

FloatingVoter · 16-01-2011 08:31PM

Were Clown to be voted out on Tuesday (as seems likely) and then resign as PM does this mean Mary Coughlan gets to be our Taoiseach ?

hotmail.com · 16-01-2011 08:34PM

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Umm.. I'd imagine a row about who is to lead the ruling party/country is a bit more important than the z-list acting in Fair City no?

Besides, as Gandalf and myself said above, if they covered Cowen's (not part of the normal schedule) press conference earlier, then they should have covered the response of the main opposition.

Like I said, they'll cover it in detail on the 9 o'clock news.

There's a big difference between the Taoiseach giving an important statement as opposed to a minister saying he doesn't support the Taoiseach.

BBC 1 or ITV would not interrupt programming if there was a similar event in the UK, perhaps only a news flash at the end of a programme.

FreudianSlippers · 16-01-2011 08:35PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Were Clown to be voted out on Tuesday (as seems likely) and then resign as PM does this mean Mary Coughlan gets to be our Taoiseach ?

Maybe, but probably not.

FloatingVoter · 16-01-2011 08:36PM

OisinT wrote: »

Maybe, but probably not.

Is that hope or expertise talking ?:)

FreudianSlippers · 16-01-2011 08:42PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Is that hope or expertise talking ?:)

Both. There isn't a succession (so to speak)... they'll have to nominate a new person to take that position.

Martin, Lenihan and Coughlan are the 3 that are the most likely to get in and of them I believe Coughlan to be the least likely.

Mr.Micro · 16-01-2011 08:42PM

Coughlan should have thrown her hat into the ring......we could all do with a good laugh

Marshy · 16-01-2011 08:43PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Were Clown to be voted out on Tuesday (as seems likely) and then resign as PM does this mean Mary Coughlan gets to be our Taoiseach ?

No, there'd have to be a Dáil vote to appoint her as Taoiseach. Pretty unlikely.

Also, atm it seems Cowen is favourite to win the confidence vote...

sligopark · 16-01-2011 08:43PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Were Clown to be voted out on Tuesday (as seems likely) and then resign as PM does this mean Mary Coughlan gets to be our Taoiseach ?

Mary Coughlan - Taoiseach - Sweet Geesus :eek:

Dirk Gently · 16-01-2011 08:47PM

The criticism RTE gets on these breaking news events over weekends is irrelevant imo. I would like their website to be a little more up to the minute but unless you want to pay for a new 24 hour news channel then accept that RTE is not a breaking news channel. Hands up who wants to pay anchor men and women to sit around all day replaying the same clips 24/7 while they wait for breaking news to happen?

Plenty of scope to criticise RTE and its news / current affairs programmes, but they cant be expected to compete with 24 hour news channels unless we want to divert our tax money into creating such a monster.

I feel dirty now.

Mr.Micro · 16-01-2011 08:48PM

Marshy wrote: »

No, there'd have to be a Dáil vote to appoint her as Taoiseach. Pretty unlikely.

Also, atm it seems Cowen is favourite to win the confidence vote...

The spineless FF TD's are terrified of a General election so will continue with Biffo.