John Gormley and Patricia McKenna Give us Another Election to Cover

Arrive home to the joyous news that the Green Party will have a contest not a coronation after all. So alongside Seanad results we will be keeping a keen eye on the internal dynamics of the Green party. John Gormley and Patricia McKenna will be contesting the leadership but it will be interesting for two (at least) reasons;

1) Its silly season. Whatever campaigning is to be done will be done over the course of silly season. This is great news for poor hacks looking down the abyss of August tedium. As it is likely to be a good debate in an interesting party, where journalists can find any number of ‘characters’ to give good ‘copy’, the story will be well-covered and well analysed.

2) Its a huge debate just after going into power. We will no doubt see more of the ‘big-test’ talk since this is so close to the last big test and the one before that. We will also get an insight into just how dynamic a new leader will need to be to keep the Green party behind them for five years in government. McKenna was on the News at One today emphasising how this is not about returning to the decision to go into power rather about the way forward for the Greens. You can bet they will attempt to keep the dirty laundry washing to a minimum but the party are nothing if not independent.

There will be sparks over a myriad of sticky issues and one would think that unless McKenna opened up clear space between her and Gormley the party will opt for seniority in the vote. Thus there may well be talk of internal harmony on past decisions but expect sparks. The people who will watch this closely will of course be the likes of Sargent and Dan Boyle who will be integral to building the party over the coming years and expanding the party. If the gaps and cracks appear early it may kick media speculation and pressure up a gear very early in their time in government, no doubting bringing Bertie and Fianna Fail into the fold to keep things steady. It promises to be interesting indeed.

But it is fraught with danger for them, opening up the spectre of nasty division so closely following the overwhelming decision to go into power. Or it could underline that commitment and reassert the Greens credentials as ’stable partners’.