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Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar launching a campaign against welfare fraud. Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie
slim lead
FG leadership race: Voters are leaning towards Leo Varadkar over Simon Coveney
A new poll shows Varadkar maintaining a lead.
LEO VARADKAR WOULD be a more popular choice as Taoiseach than Simon Coveney, according to a new opinion poll.
The Red C poll published in today’s Sunday Business Post shows Varadkar on 40% to Coveney’s 34% when voters are asked ‘who would make the best Taoiseach?’.
Varadkar leads among Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin and Independent voters with Coveney only leading among Fianna Fáil voters.
The poll also pitted the two ministers against each other on a range of specific questions.
Asked who was more ‘trustworthy and fair’, Varadkar narrowly won by 42% to 40%.
Varadkar was also chosen by a large margin when asked ‘who would make Ireland to be more socially liberal?’. In that question, Varadkar was chosen over Coveney by a margin of 53% to 25%.
Voters however appear to see Coveney as a more canny negotiator. Asked ‘who will be able to deliver the best Brexit deal for Ireland?’, Coveney is chosen over Varadkar by 38% to 33%.
The two ministers are the two frontrunners to succeed Enda Kenny as Fine Gael leader. The Taoiseach has not set a date for his departure but a changing of the guard is seen as likely over the summer.
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