Varadkar In Pole Position In Fg Leadership Race

Leo Varadkar now has the support of 45 of the 73 members of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party in the race to be the next leader. Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, junior ministers Michael Ring and Catherine Byrne, and Senator Joe O'Reilly are among those who declared for him today. He now has a virtually unassailable lead as Simon Coveney would require around three quarters of Councillors and the wider membership. However, the housing Minister says he'll stay the course until the final whistle.