George Lee - Resignation challenges each of us

NOW that the short but tremendous excitement generated by Hurricane George begins to abate, it would probably be worthwhile to pick through the flotsam and jetsam to see if any good can come of the whole sorry, demeaning, revealing and angry affair.

George Lee enjoyed tremendous public support — four-to-one in an off-the-cuff RTÉ poll — for his decision to quit politics and Fine Gael, but he has been criticised by politicians. He has been vilified by others.

He has been told that he lacked bottle and that he has betrayed his constituents. He has been told that he is petulant and ill-suited to the rough and tumble of politics. And that was just his former party colleagues.