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Matt Cooper: Simon Harris’s early missteps make November 15 a likely election date

New leader is going to be the shortest-serving taoiseach in the history of the state, far shorter than he has stated as his immediate ambition

Taoiseach Simon Harris ‘could run the risk of being reduced to a near footnote in Irish political history’. Picture: Getty

The government’s credibility on the immigration issue is almost entirely lost after ten days of one of the most shambolic political performances imaginable.

That is almost certain to impact heavily on next month’s European and local elections – and resonate with voters in the general election when it comes.

Almost certainly Simon Harris is going to be the shortest-serving taoiseach in the history of the state. While his tenure might not be as short as ...