So Fine Gael has closed one chapter and hopes to open another. Mr John Bruton, leader of ten years' standing, was defeated by 39 votes to 33 in the joint challenge mounted by Mr Michael Noonan and Mr Jim Mitchell at last night's parliamentary party meeting. He went down with guns blazing - metaphorically - but in the true spirit of democracy, to which he has dedicated his life in the Dail for more than three decades, he was dignified, albeit bruised, in defeat. Now the real battle begins, not just for the leadership of Fine Gael but for the control of the only party which can realistically offer the electorate the choice of an alternative Taoiseach. The party has foundered in the consensus politics of recent years and it was this reality, as well as Mr Bruton's consummate failure to engage the public, which fomented the challenge. A decision of critical importance to the party and the country must be made in coming days. The two leading front-bench members, who risked their careers to table the no-confidence motion, have already announced that they will contest the leadership. Mr Noonan would appear to be scoring ahead of Mr Mitchell in the anti-Bruton soundings of recent days. If successful, one will serve as the other's deputy leader. But, there is every expectation that the pro-Bruton wing of the party will put forward its own candidate also.
As a leadership contest gets into full flight, there is one profound truth that the party must grasp. A new face on the poster alone will not change Fine Gael's fortunes in the next general election. The Commission on Renewal, established by Mr Bruton, reported in 1994 that the party was "weak, demotivated, lacking morale, direction and focus". The self-same and additional criticisms can be made today. Put simply, Fine Gael does not know its place in today's politics. It is paralysed with a lack of conviction. It cannot communicate what it stands for - if it knows. Yet, the rejuvenation of the party is essential if the electorate is to be offered an alternative to Fianna Fail-led governments.
The leadership campaign takes on a heightened significance in this context. A dollop of charisma will not suffice. This reality should be borne in mind by Fine Gael members as they assess the prospective leaders in the week ahead.
For the case can legitimately made for Mr Bruton that he did the State some service, as opposed to the State ever serving him. He acted on all occasions, in and out of government, in the public interest. He epitomised public service. There are many Government decisions of which he can be justly proud. He was deemed by some to have an unsure hand on the peace process but it will be recognised that it was he, in retrospect, who first challenged republicans to decommission arms. He made a key intervention in the divorce referendum campaign. Unlike others, he set high standards of probity in his party - forcing the late Mr Hugh Coveney, Mr Phil Hogan and Mr Michael Lowry to leave their positions. Amid the personal disappointment of having to vacate the leadership of his party, the hope must be that Mr Bruton will not be lost to public life. When we finally see the shake-out from the tribunals, maybe we will place, as a people, a higher value on core integrity than political marketability. In that political landscape, John Bruton and his legacy may yet come into their own.