Profile

Simon Harris


Listen Later

Although Simon Harris reportedly describes himself as an 'accidental politician', he has managed to make a career out of it. His interest in politics was sparked at the age of 15 when he set up a support group in his local town to campaign for better secondary education for autistic people after he saw his parents struggle to get help for his younger brother. From then on his path was set. After a brief dalliance with Fianna Fail he joined the youth wing of the Fine Gael party at 17. He gave up his degree studies in year three of a four year course to work as an assistant to the then leader of the opposition in the Irish Parliament. By the age of 24 he was elected to parliament with the nickname 'Baby of the Dail' and was a junior minister by the age of 27. Since then he's held two further ministerial posts.

Now, after the shock resignation of former Taioseach, Leo Varadkar in late March, he was elected unopposed as leader of the Fine Gael party and now is expected to be confirmed as the new Taoiseach when the parliament returns after the Easter break. With a new nickname, 'The Tik Tok Taoiseach' because of his use of social media he's on track to break another record, set by his predecessor as the youngest Taoiseach in history to date.

Kate Lamble finds out what makes him tick outside of Tik Tok and his rapid rise to the top job in Irish politics.

CONTRIBUTORS

Frances Fitzgerald, MEP, Dublin, Ireland
Councillor Ray McAdam, Fine Gael
Alice O'Donnell, Triple A Alliance
Jennifer O'Leary, BBC Ireland Correspondent
Fionnan Sheahan, Ireland Editor, The Irish Independent

PRODUCTION TEAM

Presenter: Kate Lamble
Producers: Julie Ball & Madeleine Drury
Researcher: Jay Gardner
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound: Nigel Appleton

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

ProfileBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1

4.1

97 ratings


More shows like Profile

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,412 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

381 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,842 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

162 Listeners

Front Row by BBC Radio 4

Front Row

125 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,909 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

500 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,782 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,050 Listeners

The Week in Westminster by BBC Radio 4

The Week in Westminster

28 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

901 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,025 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,925 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,081 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

45 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

39 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

74 Listeners

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson by BBC Radio 4

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

107 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

674 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,121 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

742 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,985 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

104 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

983 Listeners