A MEETING of the Fine Gael front bench today will be critical in determining whether Enda Kenny survives as party leader after sacking his deputy leader, Richard Bruton.
Mr Kenny has called a meeting of his full parliamentary party on Thursday to test the level of support for his leadership among TDs, Senators and MEPs.
Mr Bruton was preparing to challenge Mr Kenny at the frontbench meeting in Leinster House today and his supporters were claiming that more than half the 19 members were prepared to back him.
Last night Mr Bruton told Pat Kenny's Frontlineprogramme on RTÉ that, "It will be clear tomorrow that a number of frontbenchers have no confidence in him."
Mr Kenny’s decision to pre-empt the move by sacking Mr Bruton surprised most of the leading figures in the party and has left his frontbench opponents with serious decisions to make about whether to persist in their determination to call on him to go at today’s meeting.
Supporters of the leader claim that a clear majority of the parliamentary party will back Mr Kenny on Thursday and that his decisive move yesterday will reinforce his position.
Mr Kenny rang Mr Bruton yesterday afternoon to sack him as deputy leader and finance spokesman after a number of phone conversations over the weekend and a face- to-face meeting on Sunday.
“This is a sad day for me and for Fine Gael,” Mr Kenny told a press briefing later. He pointed out that he had three times backed Mr Bruton’s older brother, John, when his leadership had been challenged.
“The timing here is appalling,” said Mr Kenny, who added that he had no option but to sack Mr Bruton given that the Dáil would today debate a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach.
“Over the weekend, some unnamed people have done huge damage to Fine Gael through their anonymous comments to the media, which has resulted in an opinion poll dominating the news agenda at a time when all our energies should be focused on getting this government out of office.”
Speaking last night on RTÉ's Nine O'Clock NewsMr Kenny said that in the time of Charlie Haughey "[Former Fianna Fáil press secretary] PJ Mara couldn't possibly have dreamed up a better distraction than this". Appointing Limerick TD Kieran O'Donnell as interim finance spokesman, Mr Kenny said that he would announce a new front bench next week.
Mr Bruton last night appealed to his colleagues to put their loyalty to the Irish people above their loyalty to Mr Kenny and install him as their next leader. He strongly criticised Mr Kenny’s leadership, saying he has been unable to convince the public that he could manage the country’s economic problems.
“There are many opinion polls and ratings of his leadership and many occasions on which he has faltered at crucial times – and we do need people’s confidence now,” said Mr Bruton in an interview with RTÉ.
One frontbench supporter of Mr Bruton insisted that Mr Kenny would have to reflect on his position if a number of frontbenchers persisted today in their determination to tell him they no longer believed he was the best leader of the party.
“How can he possibly think he can continue when he knows that at least eight of his cabinet will not serve with him? How can he do that? That is the realpolitik,” he said.
Throughout yesterday, party chief whip Paul Kehoe appealed to Mr Bruton to abandon his challenge. “It is political naivety and car crash politics,” he maintained.
The meeting of the party’s 69 TDs, Senators and MEPs will take place on Thursday and the voting will be by secret ballot. A phone poll suggested Mr Kenny has 32 declared supporters with five others thought to be in his camp. Mr Bruton has eight declared supporters and 16 believed to be in his camp. The views of eight others are unknown or undeclared.