An Englishman in Dublin writes: I believe Mary Lou McDonald should lead the Republic as Taoiseach

I don’t tell the Irish how to vote and I deliberately did not vote in the General Election of February 8, 2020.

But I respect the verdict of the Irish people in that election and I understand the reasons for it, namely, dissatisfaction with the failures of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, most obviously in respect of the public scandal of our homeless.

We (you) did not have that in 1968. It is clear from the election of February 8, 2020 that neither Leo Varadkar nor Micheal Martin possesses the confidence of the Irish people as Taoiseach.

Mary Lou McDonald TD (English I and II, Trinity College Dublin) is the person who does possess that confidence and I believe that a government of national unity ought to be formed with Mary Lou McDonald as Taoiseach.

If the DUP and the Ulster Unionists can work in government with Sinn Fein in the six counties there is no reason why Fine Gael and Fianna Fail cannot work in government in the 26 counties with Sinn Fein. Perhaps with an independent as Taoiseach if necessary.

At the time of writing we have a wonderful display of Irish patriotism and unity in response to the historic crisis, economic as well as medical, brought upon us unbidden by the coronavirus.

The only place where we do not have unity is Dail Eireann. That must change.

Gerald Morgan, Former lecturer Trinity College Dublin (where he taught Ms McDonald)