Bertie: An Embarrassment on the World Stage

In the interests of maintaining standards in high office, Bertie had to go.

My abiding image of Bertie Ahern is of him standing with the G8 leaders, during Ireland's EU presidency.

It was embarrassing to have someone with so many question marks over his personal finances, representing us alongside the most powerful leaders in the world. Men like Jacques Chirac – a crook; Silvio Berlusconi – a crook, and a megalomaniac; Vladimir Putin – an ex-KGB agent, trying to bring back the good old days; and George Bush and Tony Blair – both war criminals.