Sartorial diplomacy as Donohoe and McGrath avoid any budget clash
There was no political significance in the colour of ministerial ties as the two ministers talked about their second budget together, discussing the increase in carbon tax, the expected €66 billion Revenue bonanza, the risk of a financial crash – and what relations are like within the coalition
Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Finance, turned up for last week’s budget wearing a green tie, while Michael McGrath, the Minister for Public Expenditure, was wearing a blue one. It prompted some sharp-eyed commentators to wonder if this was a form of “sartorial diplomacy”, with Donohoe adopting the Fianna Fáil colours and McGrath donning Fine Gael’s traditional blue.
Both ministers burst out laughing when it was put to them that this was part of a ...