Fine Gael drops Verona Murphy for general election
Fine Gael has agreed to drop Wexford candidate Verona Murphy for the general election with fears she could damage the party if allowed run. The party’s executive council met and agreed to deselect the Irish Road Haulage president as a candidate following controversial remarks she made in the recent Wexford by-election.
The Irish Examiner understands that the decision by the party council and its officials was taken after a recommendation to remove Ms Murphy by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Speaking to Virgin Media News tonight, Mr Varadkar said: “What changed is towards the end of the campaign she released this video… which indicated that the apology wasn’t sincere. And she tried to say that there was a media conspiracy, or a Dublin elite conspiracy, against her.”
The decision to drop her also followed a meeting she had with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, who is overseeing the selection of candidates for the election, in Wexford earlier this week.
Ms Murphy confirmed to media today that she had been deselected ahead of the council meeting. At the Fine Gael official gathering, one speaker praised her role as a representative for the hauliers while another voiced concern that not enough time and procedure had been given over to the decision.
However, Fine Gael sources also said some members of the council warned that if Ms Murphy stayed on the ticket for Wexford that this would damage the party’s election chances elsewhere in the country. The move comes after her remarks during the Wexford by-election at which she claimed asylum seekers who come to Ireland need to be “deprogrammed” as they may have been influenced by IS.
But the controversy did not end there. Despite apologising, Ms Murphy backed a video in her name in which she hit back at criticisms and blamed forces in the media. Fine Gael will have to decide whether to add a third candidate again to its Wexford campaign, alongside sitting TDs Michael D’Arcy and Paul Kehoe.
It also remains for Ms Murphy to decide whether she will run as an Independent. She is expected to outline her position on South East radio today.
Meanwhile, the meeting also agreed that Skibbereen-based councillor Karen Coakley be added to the ticket for Cork South West for the general election. It comes after a decision by sitting TD and minister Jim Daly not to seek re-election. Ms Coakley will run alongside senator Tim Lombard.
Elsewhere, Mr Varadkar signalled that any pact to hold the election on a specific date next year may be reliant on smaller parties.
He told Labour leader Brendan Howlin: “The parties here make up an increasing number of people in the Dáil. If Deputy Howlin is indicating to us that he would be willing to consider abstaining on future confidence motions or voting with the Government in future confidence motions, I am sure we would have something to talk about then.”
