Simon Harris on course to become Ireland’s next prime minister

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Simon Harris looks set to become Ireland’s next prime minister after on Thursday announcing his bid to become leader of the centre-right Fine Gael party, saying he would give the role “my all”.

He made his move after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar shocked Ireland on Wednesday by resigning unexpectedly as Fine Gael leader, citing unspecified personal and political reasons.

Harris, the higher education minister, appeared to have clinched the nomination to be the next party leader unopposed — putting him on course to become Ireland’s youngest ever taoiseach at the age of 37.

“I’m in. I want to be the next leader of Fine Gael. I’m ready to step up. I’m ready to serve,” Harris told broadcaster RTÉ.

He said he would announce his vision for the party in the coming days, adding: “I intend to give it my all.”

From early on Thursday, ministers, senators, local councillors and other Fine Gael figures came out in support of Harris as their next leader while potential rivals, including social protection minister Heather Humphreys and public expenditure minister Paschal Donohoe, announced they would not be running.

The grey-haired father of two young children, who is long believed to have had his eye on the top job, said he was “overwhelmed, honoured and a little taken aback” by the level of support he had received.

Fine Gael had been preparing for a leadership contest, with bids due to close by Monday lunchtime.

It was not immediately clear whether Harris, who has previously held the justice and health ministerial portfolios, would be declared victor before then if he is unopposed. He could be confirmed as taoiseach on April 9.

A Fine Gael spokeswoman said campaigning scheduled for next week in three cities was still likely to go ahead, even if there were no contest, to give Harris a chance to set out his stall to the party base.

Harris, who has been a lawmaker since 2011 — never in opposition — comes from County Wicklow, south of Dublin, and has a reputation as an energetic minister.

His challenge would be to reinvigorate Fine Gael, which governs in coalition with the centrist Fianna Fáil and Green party, ahead of local and European elections on June 7. A general election is due by March 2025.

Varadkar’s dramatic resignation made it likely that Ireland’s general election would not now be held until next year, to allow a new taoiseach time to make their mark, according to analysts.

Before Varadkar’s announcement, expectations had been for an election this autumn.

Varadkar, who was in Brussels on Thursday where he ruled out taking an EU job, had previously been Ireland’s youngest prime minister when he first took office in 2017 aged 38.

Neale Richmond, a junior business minister who was one of the first Fine Gael figures to endorse Harris publicly, told RTÉ he had the “energy, experience and compassion” for the country’s top job.

Sinn Féin, the opposition party that is the most popular in Ireland according to polls, led calls for an immediate general election.