George Lee resigns from Fine Gael and as a TD

[Gimpanzee]

Varadkar is real politician, who worked his way up through Local Government and who won a seat at a General Election. He was deserving of his berth.

Lee was never involved in politics and sailed into the seat on a wave of noxious populism.

Do you think Varadkar would have have resigned had he not gotten his way?

I have great time for Varadkar, and I don't see how his earlier political life spent at council meetings and party meetings in anyway makes him better equipped for legislating for the country. He was always good enough. The system you are supporting has produced piss poor politicians, the fact the Varadkar isn't one is neither here nor there.

[Kev408]

Well you get off the stage!

What has he ever said or done?

Is only contribution to the current economic debate has been to suggest a reduction in Stamp Duty.

He's a gobsh1te, who can now never work in current affairs ever again!

Hah!

Let's say he knows very little about economics. He seems to know enough to know that FG policy is wrong. With regard to 'what has he ever said or done?'. The reason he's leaving is because he says he's not had the opportunity to say or do anything despite being lauded at the time of his joining FG (by FG) as an expert on the economy. That he feels he needs to make an impact proves conclusively that he's not happy with FG economic policy.

Btw, to save me reading all the pages of this thread can anyone tell me if any FGers here have acknowledged that this is particularly bad news for FG? (I've given up hope that one of them would acknowledge what all neutrals can see clearly i.e. that Enda Kenny is not leadership material, but Lee's departure?)

[Kerrygold]

Rainbow in tatters!

[Socratus O' Pericles]

The tide is turning in favour of FF now :

Lee resigns thereby showing the paucity of judgement in allowing him in in the first place

sentiment improves:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0208/consumer.html[/URL]


Inda can't lay a glove on Cowen

5 ore years anyone?

[jmayo]

I never heard such crap. If he was happy with FG's economic policy despite little of his own input he would have stayed. If he was unhappy with it with little of his own input he'd have left - so he did.

Bottom line is that one of our most astute economic minds has dumped FG because he thinks their economic policy is either bad or wrong. What a particular kick in the goolies this is for Bruton.

FFS most astute economic minds.
Goi back through posts of posters on this forum or others and you will find ordinary joe soaps saying the exact same things that Lee was lauded form a height for doing.
Morgan Kelly, Richard Curran, Alan Aherne (before takignleeny schilling) all were saying how bad our economy was and thus our future.

Worst government in living memory. An economy banjaxed. A bunch of corrupt politicians. And the useless gobsh*te Kenny hasn't taken them out. At least Noonan would have done something instead of waiting for his turn to be taoiseach.

Regards...jmcc

What the f*** is Kenny or any other FG/Lab leader meant to do, organise a coup because he cannot take them out if they still have more numbers than him.
Thus they can't take them out.
The only way this government can be really taken out is if the people of the country refuse to recognise it's legitimacy.
One massive all out strike involving public, private, paye, self employed, old, young, etc.

Even though the backbenchers resign the whip on some little local issue where they can mouth off to the locals about how they made a stand, you quickly soon find they vote for the government come confidence motion (see joe behan and the two gombeens in Sligo).
The greens are bought and paid for, as with jackie healy rae and lowry.

What did noonan ever do, oh yeah mouthed off and screwed haemophiliacs.

[Chrisco]

That's all well and good in theory, but in practice there are other FG TDs who have dedicated much of their adult lives to the party and to politics. Why would you expect them to step aside so that a high-profile blow-in could take all the power and influence?

Because they know SFA about economics at the time of the country's worst economic crisis?

[The_Big_Fellow]

I think he has done the right thing. If he is not being allowed have an impact, then why stay in the party. There is no shortage of politicians like that in FG and FF. Why he has resigned the seat is beyond me though

[Simbo67]

Well, what a thing to wake up to the morning after superbowl.
There are a few more fgers on than there were before but I am guessing they were doing what I was doing which was trying to talk to other fgers to see whats going on.
It goes with out saying that this is a disaster for FG and for Enda.
I think he had better come out fighting and throw in a performance of his lifetime or else the paper cuts are going to get worse.

[The Field Marshal]

Patience? There´s no time for patience when there should be an orange revolution in full swing.
If GL doesn´t ever engage in politics again, ór indeed if he does is not the point. History will not accuse him of having taken part &/or standing idly by in the destruction and sale of this country. I respect him for it. He´s shown integrity.

Lees having used the nuclear option on FG may be eyeing up FF.

FF or any other party will be very slow to trust this maverick bronco colt.

History will accuse Lee of the grossest premature political ejaculation of all time.

Barely 9 months after being elected he tells his party& the people who voted for him all to get stuffed!

He has displayed incredible political unawareness. FG were in a position to at least make a reasonable grab for power.

Lees resignation, due to his high profile has damaged FG very very badly at every level. His statements on his resignation have piled more fuel on the fire.

Had Lee waited who knows what might have happened.

He is now just a political leper.

[riker1969]

Quitting any job after only nine months doesnt show much backbone. Quitting such a high profile job is an even worse reflection on him personally. Perhaps, Richard Bruton could have been more inclusive in terms of making sure he was happy but Bruton is a busy man. Im sure we will hear from Richard this eve on his take on events.

I never viewed George as a Messiah like figure that some in the media and general population did,this strikes me as a spineless ego driven decision.