# Brian Cowen - no confidence motion



## DB74 (17 Jan 2011)

Scheduled for tomorrow

I can't see how FF are going to garner any support at the next election if Cowen is still the leader. Their only hope of retaining seats is if they oust Cowen and try to convince the electorate that there is a new broom sweeping clean.

Paddy Power going 3/1 that Cowen loses the vote which I think are very generous odds (1/5 that he wins the vote)


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## Shawady (17 Jan 2011)

It's a strange one because Martin is under the impression that if he is the new leader then Cowen could stay on as Taoiseagh until the election. Not good enough to lead the party but good enough to lead the country?


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## Howitzer (17 Jan 2011)

Technically it's a motion of confidence.


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## DB74 (17 Jan 2011)

Howitzer said:


> Technically it's a motion of confidence.


 
You are correct Sir and I can only apologise for my shameful ignorance.


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## Shawady (17 Jan 2011)

The Vote of No Confidence is next week. It's hard to keep it at this stage.


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## Yorrick (17 Jan 2011)

The more I hear Martin the more I would stay with Cowan.


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## thedaras (17 Jan 2011)

I hope Cowen stays, as Micheal Martin may bring a bit of credibility to the dying party!
As long as Cowen stays there is a bigger chance of total annihilation!


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## elefantfresh (18 Jan 2011)

I don't think Martin would bring anything should he win. FF are screwed either way. Martin is a waffler "in terms of..." - count how many times he says that.
Perhaps FF will save a couple of seats should Cowen go, but they're out for a generation in my opinion. Regardless of whos in charge. They've had 13 years and this country went down the tube on their watch - whatever about external circumstances. 
Rant over.
Sorry.


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## michaelm (18 Jan 2011)

DB74 said:


> Paddy Power going 3/1 that Cowen loses the vote which I think are very generous odds (1/5 that he wins the vote)


1/10 to win it now.





elefantfresh said:


> I don't think Martin would bring anything should he win. FF are screwed either way . .
> Perhaps FF will save a couple of seats should Cowen go, but they're out for a generation in my opinion.


Unless Martin has a plan to offer a FF Tallaght Strategy and support a minority FG government.  He could say that a FG/Lab fudge won't fix the country and therefore support FG from opposition.  Then 5 years down the line the scene could be set for a FG/FF Nua coalition.


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## Shawady (18 Jan 2011)

Lenihan has offered his support for Cowen so game over.
Interestingly, some FF backbenchers are shocked at this as they reckon he was stirring it up recently.

[broken link removed]


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## Staples (18 Jan 2011)

They're all doing whatever suits their own agenda.

Reading between the lines of Lenihan's interview, he'd prefer Cowen to be the public face of FF going into the election and to take the brunt of the beating they'll get regardless of who's leader.  In opposition, there'll be more time and space to make a more thought-out claim for leadership.

In Martin's case. it's been suggested that even if Cowen retains leadership, he (Martin) can turn around after the election and say "well, if only I'd be leader, the hiding wouldn't have been as severe".

It's only a matter of timing.  Rightly or wrongly, Cowen has become synonomous with the economic meltdown and politically, he's toxic and finished.


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## Sunny (18 Jan 2011)

I love the fact that at the same time of receiving an IMF bailout and having a bust economy with over 400k people unemployed, the majority party in Government is fighting about who should lead it into political oblivion. Only in Ireland.


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## Shawady (18 Jan 2011)

Just goes to show the FG plan of keeping Enda out of sight is working. FF doing all the damage themselves.


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## Ancutza (18 Jan 2011)

> They're all doing whatever suits their own agenda.
> 
> Reading between the lines of Lenihan's interview, he'd prefer Cowen to  be the public face of FF going into the election and to take the brunt  of the beating they'll get regardless of who's leader.  In opposition,  there'll be more time and space to make a more thought-out claim for  leadership.
> 
> ...



This is EXACTLY what's going on!  Wholeheartedly agree with Staples.  What they've failed to realise is that by retaining Cowen they are about to be extinct-ified!!!!  I'll be sorry to see Dick Roche go.  He's a decent stick but would I vote for him again?  NOPE!


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## onq (18 Jan 2011)

Wasn't Dick the boyo who didn't imlpement some of the EU Directives on the Environment thus causing us to be fined?

Am I misremembering?

ONQ.


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## Marion (18 Jan 2011)

At the end of the day .... it's all about ego - me me and only me! Or should that be; I, I and only I?

Martin, Hanifin, Cowen, Lenihan and co are looking after themselves. 

Anybody who thinks otherwise is self-delusional.

Marion


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## DrMoriarty (18 Jan 2011)

Brian Cowen has won the motion of confidence at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting.


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## lightswitch (18 Jan 2011)

Marion said:


> At the end of the day .... it's all about ego - me me and only me! Or should that be; I, I and only I?
> 
> Martin, Hanifin, Cowen, Lenihan and co are looking after themselves.
> 
> ...


 

+ 1.  RIP Fianna Fail, hopefully.


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## Marion (18 Jan 2011)

lightswitch said:


> + 1.  RIP Fianna Fail, hopefully.



RIF maybe: *Repose in failure*? 

There can't be too many governments, in fairness, who have had to invite the IMF to rescue them.

Marion


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## Marion (19 Jan 2011)

Brian Cowen has accepted Martin's resignation as Minister for foreign affairs.

Prime time is reporting that Hanafin voted against Brian Cowen.

What is the purpose of secret ballot voting?

But who really cares about the sub plots? 

They are finished.

Marion


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## DrMoriarty (19 Jan 2011)

Look out for Martyn Turner's cartoon in tomorrow's _IT_.


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## lightswitch (19 Jan 2011)

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0119/politics.html

Cowan is now taking on the Foriegn Affairs portfolio as well.  He must want to be out of the Country as much as possilbe.  God, you'd have to laugh.


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## burger1979 (19 Jan 2011)

I wonder if he is going to just get a phone for the his new portfolio?? leave a message minder saying 'the country is broke and closed, will get back to you when out of office'


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## Sunny (19 Jan 2011)

Just saw Cowan on the news destroy both Gilmore and kenny. Especially kenny. God help us. Get rid of Cowan and FF and we get the next bunch. There is no way to win. Glad to see our national parliament laughing and playing childish politics with nothing better to do. No legislation to pass lads? The whole lot of them are idiots.


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## Leper (19 Jan 2011)

Sunny, I agree with much of what you say, but what way do we vote in the election?


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## Sunny (19 Jan 2011)

I have no idea and I cringe at the thoughts of people like David McWilliams setting up a new party that plays on peoples fears and promises new beginnings blah blah blah. Having said that, might just give them a go. Imagine sitting on the dole and watching the antics of the past few days. Have they not realised that people don't care about party politics. We want leaders. Whether that comes from any of the traditional parties or a new party, I don't care.


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## Leper (19 Jan 2011)

We all want leaders not fools.  But who are they?


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## Sunny (19 Jan 2011)

Leper said:


> We all want leaders not fools.  But who are they?



If you find them, let me know! To be fair, there are plenty of capable people in politics across the divide but get lost in party political games.


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## Shawady (20 Jan 2011)

I can't understand why there is going to be a re-shuffle now in the last days of the government. Mary Harney's reason does not make sense. She said it would not be right to stay on if she was not contesting the next election. I would have thought if she did not have an election campaign to distract her it would be an advantage to her?
Now 4 new ministers are supposed to adjust to their new positions while fighting an election campaign.


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## Ceist Beag (20 Jan 2011)

Plus do these extra 4 ministers now gain entitlement for ministerial pensions?


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## Shawady (20 Jan 2011)

No, they have to do two years as a minister to be entitled to a pension.

However, it did mention on the radio they would be entitled to severence pay when they finish in that position. Not sure of the criteria but a figure of 75% was mentioned and the example given was that even if they spend one month as a minister, they would be entitled to severence pay of 75% of one month's salary.


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## Caveat (20 Jan 2011)

Sunny said:


> Have they not realised that people don't care about party politics. We want leaders. Whether that comes from any of the traditional parties or a new party, I don't care.


 
Saw this summed up in some paper last week: "We need to decide whether or not we want someone to lead the country or someone who can get you planning permission"


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## Firefly (20 Jan 2011)

Caveat said:


> Saw this summed up in some paper last week: "We need to decide whether or not we want someone to lead the country or someone who can get you planning permission"



Best quote I've seen in a while. Ask yourselves, when the election comes around, will you be voting for the best candidates for your own area or for the country. Whilst we would all like the best for our country, IMO most people will vote for the former.


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