Fergus Finlay: Donohoe complaints and ‘tax cut’ cries just FG brand assertion
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin at a ceremony of reconciliation and remembrance of all those who lost their lives in the Irish Civil War, in the Garden of Remembrance, Dublin. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
I worked for years with a man called William Scally. He is one of those rare people in your life from whom you learn something every day. He’s still going strong, still a friend, still capable of the odd acerbic comment about the things I write here (only when he disagrees with me, of course!).
In his years as a political adviser, William was one of those people who liked to advise around options. He hated what he called “zero option” moments — those situations where the only thing possible to do is the least damaging thing. But he was also brilliant at seeing around corners and he was especially good at recognising that actions often have unintended consequences. Back in the 80s and 90s, the phrase “unintended consequences” wasn’t used for much at all — except when Scally was analysing a political scenario.
Take us with you this summer.
