Election 2011 - Visit may pay dividends

LESS than ten days ago Micheál Martin said he wanted to leave Punch and Judy politics behind.

He should have reminded himself of that ambition before he scoffed at Enda Kenny’s Berlin trip to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It shouldn’t be necessary to remind Mr Martin either that the trip would have been unnecessary but for his party’s scandalous mismanagement of the economy.

EU Commissioner Olli Rehn’s intervention also suggested that Brian Lenihan’s claim that there is “no leeway” to renegotiate the EU/IMF deal is not entirely accurate. Commissioner Rehn has rejected suggestions of a unilateral renegotiation but indicated the interest rate could be changed.

If there is a prospect of achieving that surely it is worth a day trip to Berlin?