Cowen finds himself in a jam as his apostles go into hiding

BRIAN COWEN cut a lonely figure in the Dáil yesterday as neither cabinet colleagues nor coalition partners would sit with him.

The Taoiseach stood bereft of support on the front bench for the first half of leader’s questions, looking as abandoned as a Fianna Fáil election pledge to pump money into education.

Finally, Mary Hanafin burst into the chamber, clearly flustered — as if her ministerial colleagues had forced her through the doors after unwillingly drawing the short straw to bite the bullet and make the Taoiseach appear less isolated.