Kenny needs to be a powerful politician, not just a people pleaser

CRITICS of Enda Kenny have taken cheap shots at his College Green performance.

Karaoke Kenny was derided for reciting Obama’s election victory speech verbatim. I espouse the old adage: research copies many people’s work, plagiarism copies just one source. Kenny’s oratory was appropriate and fine. His controversial choice of words referring to Richard Bruton’s “personal agenda” was unfortunate rather than a deliberate snide swipe. These minor hiccups are mere sideshows to a much more profound loss of authority that is emerging for both Kenny and Gilmore.

Weekend opinion polls reflect a bounce for the Government parties arising out of the successful state visitations. Shell-shocked fragmented opposition parties pose no immediate threat to Government parties inside or outside the Dáil. With a 52-seat majority, this administration’s problems were always going to be behind them, amongst backbenchers. The handling of early skirmishes about the future of Joint Labour Committees augurs poorly for the internal authority of government party leaders. Multiple TDs attacking members of cabinet indicate the penny has dropped in terms of personal re-election prospects. Deputies assess that their chances of re-election are predicated upon being in opposition to their own government, especially in constituencies where most or all of the seats are held by FG and Labour. If this modus operandi is facilitated or encouraged for a policy item that is contained in the Programme for Government, it probably means it will be open season for disloyalty on predictable issues of welfare reform and taxation measures.