Madam, - Darren Mac An Phríora (April 10th) makes the rather bizarre statement that Enda Kenny should not only resign if Fine Gael fails to overtake Fianna Fáil in council seats after the 2009 local elections, but that he should also leave a hostage to fortune by announcing such an intention in advance.
Leaving aside the fact that for such an electoral outcome to even be a possibility shows the great strides made by Fine Gael under Mr Kenny, Mr Mac An Phríora's suggestion betrays a lack of understanding of the current political landscape.
In 2004 Fine Gael came within eight seats of displacing Fianna Fáil as the largest party at council level, but this was in the context of Fianna Fáil's worst national election performance since 1927, winning just 32.9 per cent of the vote. Current opinion poll trends show Fine Gael at around 30 per cent, suggesting that the party should do better again than in 2004, and would probably break the 300-seat barrier. But those same polls show that Fianna Fáil, on about 36 per cent, will also regain some of that lost ground from 2004, and will most likely remain the largest party.
To suggest that Mr Kenny should then resign, for narrowly failing to achieve a target considered unthinkable just a few years ago, and indeed never achieved by Fine Gael in living memory, simply does not make sense. - Yours, etc,
Madam, - I don't agree with Darren Mac An Phríora (April 10th) that Enda Kenny should stand down. In fact Fine Gael would be putting themselves at a disadvantage if they got rid of him. For better or worse, he is the face of Fine Gael. The party once seemed to have a revolving door at their leader's office with somebody different installed every time you blinked.
While an Opposition is first and foremost an opposition, the electorate should have some idea of what they stand for as well. It is not enough to find fault with the Government's policies. Fine Gael should give us at least a framework of their alternatives.
I haven't a notion who makes up the Fine Gael shadow cabinet even though I am sure they have one. I'd like to hear their individual voices and hear what they have to offer.
In the natural course of politics, the incumbent Government can lose office simply because it has been around too long. In other words, Fine Gael should have an advantage whenever the next election happens. That advantage isn't so clear now, however, because Fianna Fail has a chance to refresh itself with an all-new Taoiseach.
For the past few years Fine Gael has only been that red-haired man whining on and on about the Taoiseach. Effectively, that's all we know about Fine Gael.
Now that Bertie is going, Enda Kenny has a golden opportunity to redefine himself and his party. I hope he doesn't waste it by climbing every tree in Offaly looking for a Cowengate. - Yours, etc,
ROBERT DUFFY, Woodside, Hacketstown, Co Carlow.