Alan Kelly resigns as Labour Party leader last night
This morning.
Further to last night’s surprise resignation of Alan Kelly as leader of the Labour Party.
Via Irish Times:
Kelly’s two-year term as leader of the party was brought to an abrupt end on Tuesday, when a delegation of three members visited him to deliver a blunt message: your time is up.
The knife was ultimately twisted by three members of the parliamentary party seen as particularly close to him: Dublin Fingal TD Duncan Smith, who Kelly made director of elections for the successful Dublin Bay South byelection, and the party’s health spokesman; Cork East TD Seán Sherlock, who backed him for the leadership over Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in 2020; and Senator Mark Wall, a staunch backer of Kelly through and through.
but the immediate trigger, sources said, was unhappiness among members over the manner of an appointment made to a backroom position within the party.
Sources said the decision was made to approach Kelly on Monday, and deliver the verdict of his colleagues to him. However, it wasn’t until Tuesday that Smith, Wall and Sherlock went to him.
Hmm.
Anyone?
Meanwhile.
Above from left: Duncan Smith, Ivana Bacik, Ged Nash, Alan Kelly and Aodhan O Riordan in Buswells, Dublin, for the launch of Labour’s Alternative Budget in January
This afternoon.
Paddy Power odds on the next Labour leader:
Ivana Bacik. 1/10
Ged Nash 9/1
Duncan Smith 10/1
Sean Sherlock. 16/1
Aodhan O Riordain. 20/1
Brendan Howlin. 20/1
Kelly lost the support of party colleagues (Jack Horgan Jones, irish Times)
Last night: The Power Wears Off