Billy Kelleher
THE SIGHS of relief from Fianna Fáil’s Mount Street HQ could be heard all the way to Cork this week, where Billy Kelleher’s rebel plotters were concentrated as the tide began to turn in favour of that other Corkman, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his Dublin ‘trophy’ candidate, Jim Gavin. But while the margin of victory should turn out to be fairly clear, Martin’s camp was rattled for much of the last week at the anger being transmitted from the parliamentary party towards their leader.
Martin’s people were frightened for a variety of reasons, the biggest being the tone and hostility of a stream of statements from TDs in the media about Martin’s “control freakery”, his “arrogance” and the “dictatorial” style of leadership in the party.
The manner of so-called discussion about the process of selecting a presidential candidate – Martin would look quietly into his heart and, at his leisure, would then hand down an instruction to TDs and the like, who would implement it obediently – was something that Kelleher exploited to great effect and the noises from party representatives showed this.
Not for two or three years had this anger about Martin’s autocratic attitude to his subjects in ‘The Republican Party’ been manifest to such an extent and it quickly translated into an exercise that focussed on the selection of a presidential candidate.
Kelleher’s people began to spread the word about Billy’s popularity and common touch; his status as the only potential candidate of any significance from the populous Munster province and his voting record there; and the strong support gathering behind him in Cork (including that of TD Séamus McGrath, brother of EU commissioner Michael McGrath).
Then there was the resentment felt and encouraged in the ranks of some in the parliamentary party at the notion of a non-party candidate being parachuted in over the heads of loyal party members, who had been dismissed in favour of the outside celeb – the ex-Dublin GAA football manager. And who, apart from Dublin-centric west wingers, said this would go down well among voters beyond the Pale?
Finally, there was the sense of drift whereby no FF candidate was even in sight until the last week, while other parties and independent candidates were at least throwing some shapes.
A shaken FF leadership, ensconced in their comfort zone since a surprisingly good (and fortunate) general election last year, shook themselves out of lethargy and began a fight back. At one stage it was the dauphin, Jack Chambers, and his senior, Martin, that hit the phones of TDs – a sign of weakness in itself given the absence of senior volunteers for this task. But the semblance of a strategy began to emerge as even a head count in Munster showed that loyalists in the payroll vote were hardly going to vote for something that could destabilise the leadership beyond repair.
It is this payroll vote – ministers, junior ministers and chairs of Oireachtas committees – that was a deciding factor in the leadership threat after the poor general election in 2020 and which once again looks like saving Martin.
The balance of forces in the parliamentary party, with this voting block a determining segment, is not as favourable for the leadership as it was in the last Dáil, if only because there are an extra 10 TDs now in the party. But any rebellious move still has to possess almost 100% cohesion to win such a contest.
There were some tetchy exchanges between Martin and a few TDs and senators he lobbied but they were quickly reminded that their leader does not take kindly to disagreement, even of the mildest variety. Most, however, did not need reminding that the consequences of a ‘negative’ vote would be very real.
In the last week the other part of the strategy was implemented with a steady drip drip of ministers and TDs coming out for Gavin. The intention was to persuade Kelleher that his was a futile project and that he ought to step back before a defeat of humiliating proportions was inflicted on him.
Kelleher had a reasonably logical rationale for his initiative – ie that he was deeply concerned, not for his own ambition and aggrandisement you understand, but for the party’s interest and the need for a successful presidential candidate and selection process.
Job done, Billy. Reputation greatly enhanced and a European Parliament seat safe for a generation.
Alternatively, Kelleher might secure a senior ministerial position in any future FF administration led by that mute minister, Jim O’Callaghan (see p10).
