Leo Varadkar welcomes leadership poll but insists ‘there is no vacancy’

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has welcomed the findings of an opinion poll showing strong support for him to become the next leader of Fine Gael, also stressing that his party was “not afraid” of Fianna Fáil.

He was speaking in Skibbereen at the opening of a new constituency office for his party colleague, Cork South West TD Jim Daly, who was among those urging Enda Kenny to step aside in recent months.

Yesterday’s Paddy Power/Red C poll showed a small increase in support for Fine Gael, up 1 percentage point to 27%, just a point behind Fianna Fáil.