Meet the new boss, same as the last one

EVER got the feeling that you’ve been down this way before? Ever wonder why the future sometimes bears a canny resemblance to the past? Take a look at the Government and you might turn away with that nagging feeling trailing in your wake.

First off, credit where credit is due. Enda Kenny and his cabinet look fresh and busy. After 14 years in opposition, you would expect the honchos among the coalition partners to display some hunger for the job, and they have.

Kenny has shown the way, literally, by providing little visual hints of a new dispensation through, for example, walking to work rather than swanning around in a Merc. He gives the impression of possessing bags of energy, and he always presents himself in a positive light. The world may be caving in, but at least the nation’s leader can give the impression that he has a steady hand on the tiller. Even if it’s just an optical illusion, these things matter.