Alison O’Connor: Cautious Martin will have to stop playing it safe
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin faces the performance of his political career on Saturday at the 73rd Fianna Fail Ard Fheis. If he flunks he may as well turn in his spurs.
The best thing that could happen the Corkman between now and then would be the publication of the Mahon Tribunal report. Then Mr Martin could use the opportunity of his television speech on Saturday night to properly cut former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern loose.
But even if the long-awaited report doesn't appear this week he's going to have to abandon his normally safe approach and go for broke. Otherwise he faces the prospect of viewers grabbing their remote control in some disgust, and switching to soccer on RTE 2.
Of course, not all of those watching will change channels, but those that he'll be left with are the 18pc or so who have doggedly stuck with FF. If he delivers a safe speech, similar to those that have gone before, he will spend the rest of his leadership career stuck speaking to that same 18pc, or perhaps even fewer. In fact, a Behaviour and Attitudes poll in yesterday's 'Sunday Times' shows the party slipping to 16pc, with Sinn Fein galloping ahead to 25pc.
Mr Martin is by nature a cautious man. He has also had a heartbreakingly tough time -- in the space of just two years he has lost his mother, his youngest daughter and, just after Christmas, his father. It is unimaginable really to think of someone suffering such loss, and also having to bear the responsibility for a political project of such epic proportions.
For him to move out of the safe zone he has so far favoured is a high risk strategy. The obvious risk lies in alienating those who have stuck with him thus far. These are the ones that would, as it were, bleed Fianna Fail if you cut them. They would rather swallow their tongues before acknowledging the party's responsibility for bringing Ireland to its knees. But if Mr Martin doesn't look beyond these diehards, then the ones he wants and needs to reach will simply go on reviling the party.
There is the worry that politically frank admissions, or decisions to expel those from the party who have brought it into disrepute, will give the enemies of FF a stick with which to beat them. Well, that argument can be discarded in that these sticks are constantly at the ready and being used anyway. As recently as Thursday morning the FF leader was on RTE's 'Morning Ireland' essentially being told he had some cheek to criticise the Government's plan to sell state assets. As the old argument goes, there would be no need to embark on such a plan if Fianna Fail had not left the State bankrupt. It's time to try and start making a virtue of honesty.
It appears from the outside that those who insist on maintaining the charade that Fianna Fail was almost an innocent bystander have a powerful stronghold within the party.
Listening to the interview given the weekend before last by Mary Hanafin to Clare Byrne on Radio One it seemed obvious the former minister had come under tremendous pressure after featuring last November in the RTE programme 'Inside the Cowen Government.'
If memory serves me, she was rather critical then of Brian Cowen, and the manner in which he conducted himself as Taoiseach, and how decisions were made by that disastrous Cabinet. Her stance was somewhat self-serving at the time, but also accurate. However, the former minister had obviously been excoriated afterwards by party diehards for what she said, and by last weekend she was blaming it all on the programme makers and their editing.
I've always liked Ms Hanafin, but that most recent interview was ill- advised and, to repeat that expression, self-serving. Listening to her that weekend, it was obvious that she simply doesn't "get it". Until she does she would be far better off staying away from microphones. Hers is the sort of talk that simply reinforces the pain and anger people feel towards the party.
Mr Martin is not helped by his parliamentary party. Is there a man among them who gives the impression of bringing a fresh approach or idea to this political project? Describing them as undynamic is to be charitable. On Saturday night on Twitter, Senator Darragh O'Brien concluded a debate on the poll by tweeting: "Anyway we need to massively up our game." How true.
Already we have seen how the party's place on the opposition benches is being squeezed by a far more dynamic Sinn Fein and independent TDs. The longer the present situation goes on the less relevant FF becomes.
There are occasional blips and false hopes like the Sean Gallagher candidacy in the presidential election, or the strong performance of David McGuinness in the Dublin West by-election.
Mr Martin has been all over the country seeing what is left of his once great party and listening to the views of those who have chosen to remain involved. It's clear there are those in the ranks who realise what has to be said and done.
There are a number of organisational and reform proposals to be discussed and voted on next weekend. Throughout a national consultation process, members apparently stressed there should be "no toleration of low standards" at any level of the party.
I'm not sure how this would work exactly but a proposal that has been tabled says the new provisions would reinforce the duty of all members to uphold the "highest ethical standards".
The party's Ard Comhairle would be required to assist treasurers and secretaries in meeting their obligations under political legislation. In the candidate selection process a new provision would require candidates to give the party a declaration of interests along the lines of the one they would give to the Standards in Public Office Commission if they were elected. This is a realisation that the party, a bit like Caesar's wife, must be above suspicion.
During the general election last year, Mr Martin spoke in the campaign of being known as "Champ's son". Champ is how his father Paddy, a former boxer, was known in Cork city.
If he is to give his party any sort of a fighting chance he needs to land a sucker punch during that Saturday night speech.
- Alison O'Connor
Irish Independent
