Is there an argument that “conservative voices” are not being heard in Leinster House?
Speaking after he was confirmed as Fine Gael yesterday, Simon Harris appeared to hark back to some of his party’s older and more conservative values.
Labelling his appointment a “moment for Fine Gael to reset”, Minister Harris said he would focus on security and was aiming to “bring back the grassroots” of the party.
He also promised to be firm but fair on migration and insisted that Fine Gael stands for law and order – adding that his party is “on the side of An Garda Síochána, where our streets are safe and crime is never allowed go unchecked”.
Wexford rally
At the same time, former Fine Gael TD Verona Murphy was hosting a rally in Enniscorthy in Wexford for 10 independent local election candidates.
The event was also attended by Senator Michael McDowell amid reports conservative-leaning independents aim to form a new Dáil alliance that could hold the balance of power after the next General Election.
In her speech to the gathering, Deputy Murphy said the Government had “lost the people” and criticised Fine Gael for turning her into a ‘national pariah’ after she made comments linking migrants to Islamic State.
She called for a snap election, insisting that the “three wise men” who are running the country do not care what the people think because they “always know better”.
Conservative
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, presenter Shane Coleman said conservative points of view may be underrepresented in the Dáil – but he does not believe the meeting in Wexford is the answer.
“I think there's certainly an argument that says conservative voices are not represented in Leinster House and we've seen it on recent issues,” he said.
“Like Michael Healy Rae got lambasted by people in his committee for daring to disagree with the recent report they had on assisted dying for example.
“He's perfectly entitled to do that, but it's almost like a lot of people in politics are terrified to be seen as being on the right of certain issues or not to be progressive on certain issues.”
Populism
He said politicians may be responding to a change in the public mood.
“This meeting in Wexford, what I actually think it's about is, political opportunism,” he said.
“It's actually populism and I think a lot of what people are saying when they say, ‘we need conservative values’, what it actually means is, it's populism and it's not actually conservative.
“It's things like, you know, ‘We can't take any more immigrants’, ignoring the fact we have international legal obligations to take immigrants.
“It's like, ‘We can't do any more on climate change’, ignoring the reality that actually, we have no choice but to do that for legal reasons and for other reasons, we have to do these things.
“I almost think it's trying to stop the tide of change.
“I think there's a need for conservative voices, [but] I don't think that's what that meeting in Wexford was about.”
He said he does not believe we will see politicians espousing conservative Christian values like those of the Iona Institute entering Leinster House any time soon.
