Matt Hancock resigns but why no sex scandals in irish public life

[Purple]

We are still a long way from being mature enough to let a Donald or a Boris in charg

Yea, it's not like the biggest Party in the country is run by a bunch of child killing former terrorists...

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I hope that's sarcasm, or irony, or something, or I'm selling all my shares in Duke Inc. !!!

It was sarcasm, Young Betsy, apologies - cheapest form and all that.
It was in response to the oh so broad minded protestations that what and with whom politicians get up to in bed is no business of ours.
I would still sell those shares

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Yea, it's not like the biggest Party in the country is run by a bunch of child killing former terrorists...

That is a good point there my dear Purple. I sense a certain smugness in these pages that we are above the venalities of across the water. There is nothing to come even near SF/IRA in terms of moral squalor over there,

 

[Purple]

It was sarcasm, Young Betsy, apologies cheapest form and all that. It was in response to the oh so broad minded protestations that what and with whom politicians get up to in bed is no business of ours.

I have more of a problem with the politicians who are supporters of, and apologists for, those who drag people out of their bed and shoot them.

 

[joe sod]

@Duke of Marmalade yes you are correct that was a sex scandal alright but it only came to light after haughey was gone from politics and was already an injured animal from other financial scandals, the Ben Dunne stuff was already long out there , Even the church scandals only came to light after the church had lost much of its power. It was the bishop Casey revelations that blew open the door on the church scandals but it only happened because an American Annie Murphy chose to do did it, it didn't happen from within

 

[Peanuts20]

That said, to answer the question of why no sex scandals here? I put it down to either a subservient media not wanting to interfere in the private, personal affairs of individuals so long as it has no bearing, material or otherwise on the affairs of Irish public life, or,
a dignified code of practice by the media not to interfere in the private, personal affairs of individuals so long as it has no bearing, material or otherwise, on the affairs of Irish public life.

I stopped buying the SINDO after their report on Liam Lawlor's death, never a fan of the man but he and his family didn't deserve that. Likewise I'd no time for the Emmet Stagg reporting.

Part of the reason it has been an issue in the UK is due to things like various spying scandals making it far more serious (Profumo for example). It also tends to be a bit more deviant over there with auto-asphixation and other fetish behaviour being part of various stories.

Maybe it's because over here, Ireland is so small, we've a good idea what is going on anyway. My Dad was a FF Cuman chairman in the 70's down the country, they all knew about Charlie and his lady friend but didn't consider it part of their business.

Actually when you think about it, do these issues only become scandals in "Protestant" countries ?. In "Catholic" countries, a blind eye gets turned, think Mitterand and Berlosconi for example. In France, Matt Hammond would only have been guilty of breaking the 11th commandment, "Thou shall not get caught"

 

[Sunny]

Incompetent politician has affair. Hardly a sex scandal. 6 kids went to bed last week thinking they were normal kids in a normal household. They had to wake up seeing those pictures, hearing people talk about it, seeing their parents relationship crumble and have journalists camped outside their homes. It's sad more than anything.

Whatever about breaking the story and I can understand the attractiveness for newspapers, Especially because he blatantly broke the covid rules he helped design. I do find the desire of the media to keep digging for more and more details extremely distasteful. Taking pictures of the poor wife and commenting on whether she is wearing a wedding ring or not is pretty low. My wife showed me one piece where they discussed her appearance. She didn't have the affair and it is obvious he is not in the house so why are you hounding the poor woman? Leave her and the kids in peace.

 

[Purple]

Well said @Sunny. I think the media has a moral duty to minimise the collateral damage in these incidents. They shouldn't be reporting on his wife or family at all.