Several of Bertie's senior colleagues agreed to be interviewed for this profile. But all of them demanded absolute anonymity. Most spoke of their party leader in highly complimentary terms. On several occasions I wondered why they would not want their boss to know the sheer depth and breath of the esteem in which they held him.
In an interview with Vincent Browne, editor of Village, Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach, said he would not stand in the 2012 election, when he will be 60. He said he would resign as Taoiseach just before the election.
Village outlines a list of questions that Bertie has yet to answer.
Watch the vigourous exchange between Vincent Browne and Bertie Ahern at the Fianna Fail press conference this morning
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6tQN6H_tVY]
Listen to the exchange here:
If he survives the election campaign, the chances are Bertie Ahern will be Taoiseach again. This is a substantial “if” at the time of writing. But his party will lose many seats – on these predictions 10 seats. However, Fine Gael won't win sufficient seats to be able to form a government with Labour and the Greens. The next government will be Fianna Fáil and Labour.
‘It's not for me to say which is my best book. They all depress and embarrass me; though naturally I consider them to be better than everyone else's, they are nevertheless far below the standard I aim for'
The election is being run on constituency boundaries that are unconstitutional but the courts seem unwilling to intervene
What is most corrupt in Irish politics is how we have used our vast wealth, allowing huge inequalities to exist in health and education
Vacuous pre-election debates ignore the really important social issues: inequality, healthcare, child poverty, education. By Vincent Browne
Fianna Fáil back in office with Labour. By Vincent Browne