Leadership battle - PDs’ happy family veneer can’t hide rift

WHETHER he is banning minors from pubs, changing the drinking laws, deporting Nigerian students, or smearing a Fine Gael spokesman as Dr Goebbels, Justice Michael McDowell is never far from controversy.

In political hot water again, this time over a power struggle with Progressive Democrat leader Mary Harney, the combative Minister for Justice was back in step with the Tánaiste yesterday as they moved swiftly to gloss over their differences.

Under a veneer of unity in front of the public gaze, they sang from the same hymn sheet in a transparent exercise in damage limitation. But, despite a flurry of denials, everything is not rosy in the PD garden.

According to insiders, Micheal McDowell believes Mary Harney promised to step down as PD leader before the next Dáil election. But, according to Ms Harney, there was no leadership pact and no threat to sack the Justice Minister.

Crucially, the alleged deal was not denied by Mr McDowell, who declined to comment on “internal” party matters.

It is a mirror image of the Blair-Brown leadership row currently bedeviling Labour in Britain. Next year’s Dáil election will tell how damaging the McDowell-Harney tussle will be for the PDs.

While the issue is now on the back-burner, the big political question being pondered by worried PD supporters is whether people will vote for a party whose future leadership is uncertain.