Mick Clifford: The ghost of the Progressive Democrats returns to haunt Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin (left) faced criticism during a nearly five-hour parliamentary party meeting over the handling of Jim Gavin’s (right) presidential candidacy, following a review that revealed major failures in the selection process, including a lack of polling and repeated, unresolved concerns about a historic tenant dispute. File photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
The ghost of Christmas past popped into Leinster House this week for an update. This ghost first began haunting Fianna Fáil 40 Christmases ago. The ghost — I’m unsure of its pronouns — came in the guise of the birth of the Progressive Democrats on December 21, 1985.
The PDs were formed as a result of opposition to a dictatorial leader of Fianna Fáil who had alienated a minority within the party. Sound familiar?
Last Tuesday, the Soldiers of Destiny held a special parliamentary party meeting to determine what to do about Micheál Martin. That wasn’t the ostensible reason for the gathering, but a small cohort were hoping for a coup d’etat on foot of Martin’s handling of the presidential debacle for the party.
Hold it up to the light, and the meeting could be cast as a poor man’s version of the series of rumbustious attempts to unseat Charlie Haughey back in the early 1980s.
Before going any further it is necessary to point out that Micheál Martin is no Charlie Haughey. The former’s persona, whether one agrees or disagrees with his politics, often attracts the description “decent”. The latter attracts a lot of descriptions but not that one.
Mr Haughey was a politician of huge ability who felt he was entitled to the finer things in life such as dining habitually at Le Coq Hardi (For younger readers that was a restaurant, or so I’m told.).
His shirts were designed in Paris. He owned an island and affected the air of to the manor born. He was a crook who did much to corrode the integrity of politics.
Mr Martin regularly attends the farmer’s market in Douglas in Cork with his empty glass bottle to be refilled with nourishing fruit juice. He is reputed to be a terror for the fruit juice.
He appears to wear the same uniform to work, navy suit and tie and white shirt, every day. He has the cut of a man who could be convinced that Giorgio Armani plays outside right for AC Milan.
His honesty might be called into question when he sneaks an extra fork or two from the salad bar beyond the regular portions. He doesn’t own an island but is often seen at Nemo Rangers matches. He is not a crook. He has been accused of being a ditherer.
What both leaders have in common is the evolution of a style in which they have kept cards close to their respective chests. Haughey did so because he was leading secret lives on various fronts, but most particularly to do with his finances.
Martin realised soon after taking over a shattered party in 2011 that he had to do it his way or the swanny beckoned as a permanent destiny for the soldiers he commanded.
He could reasonably claim that his approach to keeping things tight and giving a wide berth to consensus or consultation eventually landed Fianna Fáil back in power. And to the point where they are now, albeit much reduced, once more the largest party in the state.
Haughey’s dictat was enforced through his acolytes. In Terry Prone’s recent memoir she related how former minister for justice Sean Doherty told her that acolytes didn’t have to be instructed by Haughey on what to do because they just knew what he wanted.
The current Taoiseach doesn’t attract such devotion, even from those who support his leadership.
Back in Haughey’s day the disaffected rump, led by Des O’Malley, eventually decided they would be better off with their own party.
So it came to pass in the run-up to Christmas 1985, they joined the ghosts of Irish politics past in setting up a new party. This time though, unlike in previous guises, the small party had a major impact on politics.
The Progressive Democrats were not everybody’s cup of tea but they did forge a new way at a time of moribund politics in the state.
In some ways, they resembled the Tories. In others they competed with the Labour Party on what was called the liberal agenda, striving to drag the country kicking and screaming into the late 20th century.
They had an impact on economics, some of it positive, more resorting to the old canard of blaming the poor for their plight. But one way or the other, they were people of substance and they had a vision for society.
Today’s disaffected rump in Fianna Fáil appear to have a vision for little more than their own careers. They just want shot of Martin. It’s not that he’s making a poor fist of it as leader of the party, whatever about the country.
Neither does this rump have a problem with any of his policies. It’s just that he won’t give them a job and, worse still, they stamp their feet and wail that he doesn’t afford them the respect they believe they deserve by dint of being elected to the Dáil.
In the run-up to last Tuesday there was much gnashing of teeth and hinting that a heave was being hatched. And when it was all over they slinked back into the undergrowth to fume and wait to see if their leader messes up again at which time they will don their Christmas panto costumes, leap forward and declare “Oh no you don’t”.
Beyond the fuming rump, there is no doubt that Micheál Martin has been damaged by a disastrous presidential campaign. It is also the case that his “uno duco uno voce” leadership style may have contributed to the failure to recognize that the candidate was not best suited for the campaign.
But the hoopla that has ensued would have found itself on the cutting floor of any Christmas panto script as too boring and predictable to be put before any audience.
However, in one respect, the Taoiseach might do well to revisit his party’s back pages and look at how Charlie Haughey conducted himself in the winter of his career. After returning to government in 1987, following two previous disappointing stints as Taoiseach, he moved to right the finances of the ship of state.
He set it on course for fresh horizons over which lay the sunny uplands of a fully developed economy and he pushed forward individual projects such as the IFSC, against much departmental opposition.
Martin is now nearly a year into his last stint in the top office. Disappointingly he has not shown any urgency to tackle the most pressing issues that are squeezing many, but particularly the young.
He would do well to take Haughey’s lead in this respect. For what use is it to swat away the disaffected and hang on for dear life to power at this stage of the game unless you’re going to put the foot to the pedal and drive through what needs to be done.
Happy Christmas.
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