Politics, like soccer, is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. No credit given for past success, you are only as good as your last game. And Eamon Gilmore’s last game, the European and local elections, was a disaster, albeit, as David Moyes might plead, maybe not entirely of his making. But things had not been going well for a while. There is, however, only so much pain and uncertainty vulnerable backbench TDs can take, and, ultimately a scapegoat will be found. The manager must go. Preferably of his own volition, but otherwise, as the Tanaiste was certainly aware, helped forcibly on his way.
Mr Gilmore’s statement of resignation yesterday was dignified and matter-of-fact. There were no recriminations or elaborate self-justifications, just a simple explanation. He took a risk in 2011 in putting the party into government, and the party paid the price. He had to take responsibility, and would go in a way that did not threaten either the stability of the Government or that fateful project of restoring the country’s fortunes which has now claimed another victim.
It was ever so. Labour goes in to government full of reforming zeal and determination to protect its people, and the realities of coalition, of compromise and the depth of an inherited crisis , extract a ferocious price electorally on the party time after time. The argument that it is putting country first is noble but unconvincing to voters who are not persuaded, maybe wrongly, either that this is a crisis for which they are responsible, or that there is no alternative. Troika's way, or no way. His mantra that as the economy begins to pick up so will Labour's fortunes, became increasingly less persuasive, even to hardcore loyalists, as the evidence of popular anger mounts.
Labour’s challenge is now formidable, even existential. Even when returned to opposition in two years time, as it appears it must be, it is by no means clear that this time around the ground it has lost , largely to Sinn Fein, is ground that can be recovered. Nor is it clear that a new leader will make that task any easier.
Gilmore, it has to be said, has served his country and his party well. He played a key role in the transition of the Workers Party to social democrcacy and democratic politics, and then into the Labour Party. In the seven years he served as Labour leader he led it to its best-ever performance in 2011, with a record 37 seats, and to victory in the presidential election a year later. He brought it into coalition for the first time since 1997, and as Tanaiste was a key part of the government management team which saw the country exit the bailout. As a talented Minister for Foreign Affairs, a politically thankless role that he grew into and clearly relished, he led successful Irish OSCE and EU presidencies. But politics does not do gratitude.