Gilmore is going great guns, but his party still lacks local firepower

THE toast at the annual Labour party conference in Galway was ‘Eamon Gilmore for Taoiseach’. This ambition has a semblance of credibility in the context of the party leaders’ opinion poll approval ratings.

Gilmore has topped these tables, with almost 50% satisfaction levels, well ahead of Cowen and Kenny. He has proved himself the master of the soundbite. His ruthless rhetoric resonates best with the angry mood of the public. His parliamentary performances have been outstanding.

In the Dáil chamber, his most memorable occasions have been when inserting the knife. Last autumn, after months of a media campaign to oust John O’Donoghue as Ceann Comhairle, he cut through the fog of more consultation by stating The Bull’s position was untenable – he was tabling a motion of no confidence. The game was up. O’Donoghue had to fall on his sword. More recently, his charge of “economic treason” against Cowen was withering. The Taoiseach had an uncustomary lapse of emotion as the uppercut connected. Rarely a week passes without a banker’s bonus or developer’s lifestyle getting a gash from Gilmore.