Fine Gael hearts are raised . . . by their own lovely Lee

Political parties have long lusted after the economic lustre of George Lee. FG landed the catch of the day

GRINNING LIKE a property developer at the height of the boom, Brian Hayes strolled down the steps of the Merrion Hotel wearing a smug expression on his face and a trophy brunette on his arm.

Hayes wasn’t wearing a jacket or tie – aiming for a dynamic look. The brunette – very self-aware and quite a head turner – wore an immaculate business suit.

It’s a wonder he wasn’t also wearing a “Catch of the Day” sign around his neck. For Fine Gael reeled in the biggest of big fishes when they netted George Lee, trophy candidate.

These are strange times, when a political party celebrates the addition to its ranks of a man who has come to be known as “The Voice of the Recession”. But RTÉ’s former economics editor was an erudite voice for common sense and reason during the mad years of the boom, and its consequent unhappy landing.

George, who knows his stuff, told it like it was. The public, befuddled by facts and figures and mé-féin factions, listened to George; believed and trusted him. His was an independent voice, backed up by a lot of learning and unconnected to any counting house or ideology.

Needless to say, the political parties lusted after George. He would make them look good. His name was mentioned on many occasions over the years when election tickets needed to be filled. Fine Gael always seemed the most likely suitor.

He kept them, and the rest of us, guessing until the last minute. Yesterday morning, the aspiring deputy Lee chucked in his big influential job with RTÉ and decided to go for a career in national politics.

Soon afterwards, he gave a press conference on the steps of the Merrion Hotel in Dublin, right opposite Government Buildings. The bookies were already offering very short odds on him getting elected to Dublin South, where he will be officially ratified tonight, and they were also laying odds he will be minister for finance within two years.

So it might be something of an exaggeration to say that the entire Blueshirt family is celebrating Lee’s arrival. One suspects sitting deputies in Dublin South, Olivia Mitchell and Alan Shatter, will be displaying the true meaning of gritted teeth in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, frontbench spokespersons in the economic end of things are probably feeling a little vulnerable this morning. The deputy Lee to be didn’t burn all his bridges out in Montrose to languish on the backbenches. He would have made that clear to the FG mandarins before his decision.

The al fresco press conference was late starting. “Come out, George, and face the media!” shouted journalists gathered outside the hotel. “Come out George, the exchequer returns are due out in an hour – we’ve jobs to do!” What fun.

Party workers struggled in the wind to put up a Fine Gael banner as a backdrop. They gave up.

Finally, George arrived. It was a bit strange, at first, given that he’s a colleague. Everyone was on first-name terms. Journalist Ursula Halligan broke the ice.

“Why did ya do it, George? Why?” (Go to the dark side.) The former economics editor, turned George Lee Deppity to Be, explained.

It was time to get off the fence, put his shoulder to the wheel, roll up his sleeves . . .

No, he did say that. But he meant it. He wants to make a difference.

“In reality, I’m not planning on going back [to RTÉ]. It is my intention to make a career out of politics, to make things better and to play a role.

“I’m not doing this lightheartedly. I’m not doing this just to dip my toe in the water. I’m doing this because it matters and because it’s time that people put their shoulder to the wheel and did something positive for this country.”

He wants to be able to look his children and grandchildren in the eye and be able to say to them that he did something when they ask: what did you do when the country was on its knees in the greatest economic challenge in the history of the State?

The hacks felt suitably chastened and base. Of course, over the next while, George will be slaughtered on occasion, just in case nice coverage reflects media bias on the part of his friends.

That’s always the way.

Around Leinster House yesterday, the accepted view was that George will win the byelection.

Enda Kenny and his team couldn’t be happier.

As they might sing, if George were from Cork: “Fine Gael hearts are raised, By the knowledge displayed, On de banks (and other financial institutions) by their own lovely Lee . . .”