Leadership

George Lee resigns from Fine Gael and Dáil Eireann

08.02.2010
George Lee has resigned from Fine Gael and given up his seat in Dáil Eireann with immediate effect.

Lee said in a statement today that “despite my best efforts I have had virtually no influence or input into shaping Fine Gael's economic policies at this most critical time”.

“When I entered politics last May I made it clear that I was doing so because I wanted to try to play a new role contributing to economic policy formulation,” Lee said.

“After nine months of trying within the political system it is now my considered view that the role available to me within Fine Gael is not a role I am happy to play.

“The role I have been playing within the party has been very limited and I have found this to be personally unfulfilling,” he added.

The former RTE economics editor was elected after topping the poll in the Dublin South by-election last summer and he thanked the electorate there who had voted for him.

However, he said that he would not be serving the electorate honestly “if I were to continue allowing my efforts and mandate to be used to promote and market economic policies into which I have had no input”.

Asked on RTE Radio One’s News at One this lunchtime what he intends to do now, Lee said he was not 100pc sure but indicated his interest in returning to state broadcaster RTE.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said today he is “greatly saddened” by George Lee’s decision to resign from the party and from politics, adding that he had anticipated “a very important role” for Lee in the coming period with Fine Gael “after a time of settling into a new career in politics”.

^{Photo - Fine Gael}