Published: Wednesday, 10th February, 2010 5:00pm

Lee resignation is major blow to Fine Gael and politics

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The shock resignation of George Lee from the Fine Gael party and politics after just nine months in a Dáil seat is a major blow for the party both nationally and locally. The party at a local level has made dramatic gains in the last two local elections - taking three more seats on Cavan County Council last June to take control of local government.

With the recession hitting families and the electorate hard, a number of successive hard budgets and public sector pay cuts; the Fianna Fáil government under Brian Cowen has been nursing a major hangover since the last general election.

Fine Gael was on the up and all the signals suggested that Enda Kenny might just lead the party into power at the next available opportunity. When Seamus Brennan passed away; and Fine Gael landed RTE economics editor George Lee as a candidate to stand in the Dublin South bye election, Kenny was heralded a hero and even Fianna Fáil politicians conceded that their rivals had pulled a master stroke.

Why then would the party squander the opportunity? If George Lee was popular enough to poll 27,768 first preferences, it was a resounding personal vote. Certainly, there must have been a few personally peeved Fine Gael back benchers who were poised for promotion. But the greater good was at stake and Enda Kenny should have shown leadership, pulled rank and Lee should have been given a prominent role. What's the point of choosing such a high profile candidate, an economic expert at the height of one of the worst recessions in living memory, and putting them on the back bench, out of the spotlight, left to wither where people will forget you quite quickly? At the very least, his economic expertise should have injected into the party's economic policies. Surely both Lee and Bruton - two smart guys when it comes to all matters financial and economic - could have put their heads together for the better of the country rather than square up to each other for poll position.

That said, the reality of political life must have been dramatically different from what George Lee was expecting. Perhaps he didn't take too well to being out of the spotlight for any length. His own admission that he had "virtually no influence" or "input whatsoever" despite his best efforts to influence the party's economic policy, is startling. It damages irreparably the Fine Gael party's ability to attract high profile, top calibre candidates going forward - something that Fine Gael up to now has led the way on in terms of election strategy. Who can follow Lee in a Dublin South bye-election, unless perhaps Eddie Hobbs fancies the job?

That the Irish political system has become such a dinosaur that it stifles any creativity or new blood is a sad day for the electorate.

Enda Kenny must be in serious shock - having gone to ground on the issue. His reaction to Lee's unexpected resignation, according to George, was to immediately offer him a front bench position. Too little too late? Or did Lee just want an out of Dáil life after discovering far away hills aren't, in fact, greener?

Whatever the reason, it's a major blow to the Fine Gael party and adds credence to those who argue that the party is just not capable of taking it across the line and making a good fist of leading the country. And Fianna Fáil who are now slowly on the up in the opinion polls are fast regaining their reputation as the come-back Kings.

At the very least, Lee's dramatic resignation points to a heave and places questions over Kenny's ability, vision and imagination to lead the party into government.