Leo Varadkar has resigned as Ireland’s Prime Minister and leader of his Fine Gael party following his shock defeat in two ‘progressive’ constitutional referendums. The Telegraph has the story.
The Taoiseach made the announcement at Government Buildings in Dublin on Wednesday, bringing an end to his second stint as Ireland’s leader.
“After careful consideration and soul searching,” he said, “I don’t feel I’m the best person for the job anymore.”
Mr. Varadkar, 45, said there were “personal and political” reasons for standing down, without elaborating.
“There is never a right time to stand down. Politicians are human beings, we give everything we can until we can’t anymore.”
He added: “I have nothing else lined up.”
Mr. Varadkar will step down after suffering defeat in a referendum held to remove sexist [sic] language about women’s duties in the home from the Irish Constitution.
It came after the first meeting of the Cabinet held after the double referendum, in which voters also refused to expand the constitutional definition of the family beyond married couples.
But Mr. Varadkar will also be aware that his centre-Right Fine Gael and coalition partners Fianna Fail have long lagged far behind Left-wing Sinn Fein in the polls.
Ireland must hold its next General Election, which Sinn Fein is expected to win, by March 2025.
The latest victim of go woke, go broke, it seems.
Worth reading in full.
Voters are strange creatures: they vote down the two ‘progressive’ constitutional changes but then back Sinn Fein – a radical Leftist neo-Marxist party that would do far more than remove constitutional references to women and redefine the family.
But then again, does it not just show the lack of real choice given to voters at elections, pushing them into parties with agendas and policies they completely disagree with. Every major party in Ireland backed the referendums, yet the voters clearly didn’t.
An obvious solution to this gulf between the political class and the people they are supposed to represent would be to be more like Switzerland and hold many more referendums, breaking the monopoly on political power held by the major parties.
On the other hand, don’t assume that referendums would always favour freedom and common sense. The Swiss infamously backed draconian Covid emergency measures in several referendums. There is no perfect solution. But, to channel Winston Churchill for a moment, there are some less bad solutions that it might be worth trying from time to time.
Stop Press: On X, Michael Shellenberger notes Varadkar’s Government “is still demanding the power to send police into homes to confiscate computers and cell phones in a bid to censor the entire internet, worldwide”.
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“Will no longer have to do so”
They never had to do so
The letters that some people recieved did read very much like Government Orders to shield.
I was interested to read them because the recipients had similar conditions to mine but I never recieved such ‘instructions’.
I have RA for which I take a an immuno-supressent drug. Been on it for years, probably been in contact with all sorts of infections, colds, flus, viruses, every day of my life, as I go about my business, but I’ve always been careful, and have remained in fairly good health. For the whole of last year, I wasn’t considered “vulnerable” even though my GP “thought” I should “maybe” be on the list, but nothing more was said or done, not that I wanted to shield! The charity that supports people with arthritis even said those taking the level of drug that I’m on, are fine to not have to shield! My shopping deliveries, though, stopped last year, which I needed, due to problems with joint pain – luckily, I had some family help. Even though I questioned it, I wasn’t deemed “vulnerable” enough! So, I just got with my life, no illness, no fears, no mask, just looking after myself, supporting my immune system, shutting down all MSM…Then about a month ago, I got a letter from NHS, telling me I’m suddenly not just “vulnerable” but “clinically, extremely vulnerable!” and that I SHOULD shield for the next three weeks or so! In the letter was the inevitable heavy push to get vaccinated – but no information at all about the “vaccine,” so how am I supposed to give my “informed consent!” Basically, the letter was dumped. They obviously thought I was vulnerable enough suddenly, when there’s a vaccine to push hard!
I spent much of last summer wondering what to do in the event of receiving ‘shield’ instructions, I would almost certainly have ignored them (insurances permitting) and carried on hoping for the best.
I’ve had several government (ie not GP) prompts to take up the vaccine but only once was the phrase ‘vulnerable group’ used and that might have related to age.
Indeed!
Exactly. Disappointing to see the blurring of the distinction between guidance and law perpetuated here. It just shows how pervasive the coronamadness paradigm has become that even sceptics like those writing ATL slip up.
I was out and about as a key worker from day 1 of lockdown 2020 despite having COPD and asthma which were presumed to be bad news re the covid. This was because I took the view that if Covid was gonna get me no amount of shielding at home was going to prevent that.
I have a colleague who does exactly the same as me who has been ‘shielding at home’ for 12 months now, I expect his immune system is shot to hell, ready to fail in the face of the first kiddie lurgey to come his way.
After the first 3 or 4 weeks I ceased to worry overmuch about it, masks had yet to become a thing, sanitizer could largely be ignored and I didn’t need to shop in places with queues.
Not having access to terrestrial TV and ceasing to buy print media no doubt shielded me from the worst of the government generated fear porn that put people into shielding in the first place.
If you used an asthma inhaler, that probably helped you, as well as you maintaining your immune system.
As a general point, more substantial evidence is emerging about highly probable prophylaxis from various medicines.
The almost total neglect of this area seems to me confirmatory evidence that this is a vaccine marketing campaign, not serious evidence-based medicine
I do use an inhaler and learned subsequently about their immune system benefits.
You’re a wise person, kv. And if you lost a lot from the year just passed, as we all did, at least you didn’t consign yourself to living death.
Thank you Annie, I did lose financially entirely due to lockdown but, as you say, I remained a real live human being and not a cowering Covid zombie.
A friend’s sister was out and about during the first lockdown, going to the shops and for walks.
In July (I think) she was told she had to shield for the next fourteen weeks
Her attitiude was “I’ve survived this long”
Important to note that the letters say that shielding has been *paused*. The politicians are clearly leaving it open to reintroduce if it becomes politically expedient.
More fools those who obey.