The sudden resignation of George Lee from the Dáil yesterday is damaging to the Opposition leader Enda Kenny, the Fine Gael party, to Lee himself and, most of all, lest other parties begin to gloat, the body politic.
When George Lee, RTÉ’s economics editor, was elected to the Dáil for Fine Gael with 27,00-odd votes in the Dublin South by-election last June, the electorate was looking for fundamental change. It didn’t happen. Mr Lee has departed Dáil Éireann surrounded by controversy – the same controversy, in fact, in which he left his job in RTÉ. He mulled over his decision for days, according to his account, making a sudden dash in the end leaving unfinished proprieties and business behind him.
His departure came as a shock to Fine Gael colleagues and supporters who viewed him – correctly – as a major political acquisition. But, his unhappiness was an open secret within Leinster House. He attracted huge support for Fine Gael everywhere that he went and it would be true to say that George Lee had become the pin-up boy for the future of Fine Gael in the next government. He attracted crowds.
But politics, no more than any other profession, is not as simple as that. Mr Lee had unreasonable expectations. He served his stewardship in RTÉ and it took time for him to accumulate his economics’ authority. He stated in various interviews yesterday that he had gone to see Mr Kenny last Tuesday and told him that he was thinking of leaving because he could not make an input into economic policy. He had joined Fine Gael, he said, not to oppose Fianna Fáil, but to make his distinct contribution to economic recovery. The Fine Gael leader then offered him a front bench portfolio.
Mr Lee was naive if he believed that he could be offered the portfolio of Richard Bruton, Fine Gael’s deputy leader, who is spokesman on Finance. Mr Bruton has been in the Dáil for 28 years and is one of the few members of the Fine Gael frontbench who has government experience in an economic portfolio as Minister for Enterprise and Employment. He is the favourite to succeed Mr Kenny as leader.
Mr Lee, as a television personality, gained the confidence of the public because of his accurate and incisive criticisms of Government economic policy. As a result, he was head-hunted by Fine Gael. In pre-election statements, he spoke of his public duty and desire to contribute to the rescue of a sinking economy.
The resignation of Mr Lee, a political prima donna, will have implications for Mr Kenny’s leadership and for the Fine Gael party. Now that he has lost Fine Gael’s brightest new acquisition through complacency or inaction, pressure will intensify.
Meanwhile, Mr Lee can be comforted in the knowledge that he made a financially risk-free decision. He can return to RTÉ where his salary and pension are guaranteed. He took leave of absence for his entry into politics. He can hardly write independently about economic matters for a while. But, Charlie Bird is returning from Washington and the time may be opportune for Mr Lee to serve abroad. Mr Lee’s resignation should lead to an important public debate.