George Lee should have stayed on and fought his corner - McEntee

POLL-TOPPING former Fine Gael TD and RTE economics star George Lee "should have stayed in politics and fought his corner to get what he wanted", his former Dail office mate, Meath East TD Shane McEntee said this week. As Fine Gael moved this week to pick up the pieces after Lee's shock decision last week to quit the Dail and his party just eight months after his election, the man who shared an office with him in Leinster House said, "George didn't give it long enough. He should have stayed in there and fought." And Deputy McEntee's FG colleague in the Dail, Meath West TD Damien English has revealed how he voiced trenchant criticism of his party's front bench performance at a meeting of the parliamentary party last week in the wake of Lee's departure. There was some irony in the fact that McEntee, who promised to "bring a new face and a fresh approach to politics" was, like Lee, elected in a by-election. From the minute he went into the Dail, Deputy McEntee was well able to use the elbows he used on the football fields of Meath to get what he wanted. "I was a newcomer to the Dail when I was elected in a by-election in 2005, just like George later, and it was tough. I know how he felt. There was a hell of a steep learning curve. On my first day, the chief whip of the Government took me down to the corridors to some back room. I knew I would be isolated there. I didn't know where it was and I still don't know because I told them I wasn't having it and I now operate from the best office in the Dail, right next to the Dail chamber," he stated. Shane McEntee said that he felt it was a pity that George Lee had left politics. "I had a meeting with him before Christmas and I knew he was under pressure. I told him that the people had voted him in to talk about economic issues and that's what they expected him to do. I told him he should bring the issues to the front bench and to fight his corner there. I felt for him because I knew how he felt. It's not easy being in the Dail for the first few months. You have to give it time," he said. He felt that the affair would not damage Fine Gael. "We have a solid vote there and we're building on it. You have the elected councillors there to support you and you operate like a team. It's a fact of life that all politics is local and you have to fight from the ground up when you want something done." The Meath TD said he told George Lee that he could continue with his journalism even though he was in the Dail. "I told him that people expected to see him writing about economics. I pointed to other people, like Willie O'Dea, who are able to write columns for the newspapers as a sitting TD. George was good at communicating with people, that's where his talents lie. But people expect you to fight for your ideas." Damien English, who has been in the Dail for eight years, said that Lee will be a loss to Irish politics. "Look, I'm seven to eight years here and change is very slow. I think George could have been a major player in bringing about change. He's a household name, he starts with an advantage. I'm sorry to see him leaving politics but I feel maybe he had expectations that were too high. After all, we are in opposition." He thinks the affair was handled badly but dismisses suggestions that the fault was all on Fine Gael's side. "I actually do believe that George was listened to within the party, despite what he says. There were suggestions that he was shunned by Richard Bruton but I can tell you that as a front bench spokesperson, the backbenchers don't expect Richard to come to us. If you have an idea or a proposal, you go to him. And he is very responsive. He will listen to you." Deputy English admits to having "had a go" at his party's front bench performance. He doesn't think it's up to the mark and he demanded improvements when he spoke at the parliamentary party meeting following Lee's departure. "We should be even higher in the opinion polls", he said, "People want to hear exactly what we will do in government. They deserve it and we should be giving it to them. Our message should be clearer. The next few months will be very important for Fine Gael. There will be no room for slip-ups or mistakes."