Simon Harris's weakness has not been lack of empathy, but economic cop-on

A campaign strewn with gaffes and missteps has seen the party descend from clear election favourite to level pegging with Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin

Taoiseach Simon Harris 

It has been, as consensus would have it, a miserable old week for Fine Gael, and particularly for Taoiseach Simon Harris.

A campaign strewn with gaffes and missteps has seen the party, hamstrung by poor optics, descend from clear election favourite in the polls to level pegging with Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin in little over a fortnight.