Harris On Course To Succeed Varadkar As Ireland's PM After Surge Of Support

The contest to become Ireland's next prime minister is turning into a onehorse race after the higher education minister, Simon Harris, secured the backing of nearly half his parliamentary party before he had even confirmed he was running.

- Shane Harrison, Jon Henley and Lisa O’Carroll

Within hours of nominations opening yesterday to succeed Leo Varadkar, whose unexpected resignation as Fine Gael leader and taoiseach shocked the country, Harris had been endorsed by 24 of the party's 54 TDs (MPs), senators and MEPs.

Further clearing the path to his election, four high-profile potential rivals all ruled themselves out of the race yesterday, leaving Harris - who would become Ireland's youngest ever taoiseach if elected - the overwhelming favourite.

Harris, 37, who dropped out of college to enter politics and became a TD aged just 24, said yesterday evening that he was a candidate.

"I am declaring, I'm in, and I intend to give this my all," he told the public broadcaster RTE.

The enterprise minister, Simon Coveney, the justice minister, Helen McEntee, the public expenditure minister, Paschal Donohoe, and the social protection minister, Heather Humphreys, all said they would not run, with some also backing Harris.

While nominations for the Fine Gael leadership do not close until lunchtime on Monday, it is possible Harris, the Wicklow TD, will not even face a challenger. One parliamentarian told the Irish Times the momentum behind him was "like a juggernaut".

Since the party's rules stipulate that in leadership elections the votes of TDs, senators and MEPS count for 65% of the total, any rival to emerge before the deadline would need almost 100% support from councillors and grassroots members to overtake him.