The Taoiseach was just short of dropping on one knee and begging the people of Ireland to let him be the boss again for another while , as he addressed the nation at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis yesterday.
During his speech, Enda Kenny ruled out all other election issues in one fell swoop and said that it all comes down to “who will keep the recovery going.’ In fact, the “keep the recovery going’ bit became the official mantra during and after the speech, and will likely become the party’s election slogan as he repeated it over and over.
Still, like a groom-to-be experiencing committment issues, he did not set a date for the election festivities yet.
During his speaking time, the Taoiseach made the usual pre-election pledges of abolishing the USC, stating that it’s a “penal tax”. Amidst an ovation from the party’s troupe of ‘yes’ men, he said “If we are re-elected by the people, just as we said goodbye to the Troika, we will say goodbye to the USC,”
He also threw in a raft of other pledges, such as the hiring of, “10,000 gardaí, teachers, doctors, nurses and other front-line staff by 2021.”
And to rouse the masses at the speech’s conclusion, he added: “Personally and politically, I have always tried to do my best for you and for Ireland. I am humbled, touched, and deeply privileged to be your Taoiseach.”
Cue further applause.