Election Crisis: Haughey was in a similar position

Charles Haughey told the assembled media: “I will not be asking for the Tánaiste’s resignation from the cabinet. I will not be putting him under any pressure to resign, nor will his cabinet colleagues. It is entirely a matter for my old friend of 30 years.”

It was 1990 and Brian Lenihan senior was in the wars, but the taoiseach was standing firmly behind his tánaiste, minister for defence and the aspiring president.

A few days later, Brian Lenihan was thrown under the bus, to borrow Leo Varadkar’s phrase. When his Progressive Democrat coalition partners threatened to collapse the government if Lenihan was not removed, Haughey unceremoniously sacked his tánaiste.