Sacked junior minister launches blistering attack

SACKED Minister John McGuinness last night unleashed a stinging attack on the Government, accusing it of “lacking political leadership”.

The ex-junior commerce minister, who admitted he had been “shocked” by his demotion, launched a wide-ranging assault on Brian Cowen’s administration a day after being dumped onto the back benches.

The Carlow-Kilkenny TD insisted the Government was not doing enough to save jobs and that “half the country was threatened with closure” because ministers had not forced banks to lend to small firms despite the bail-out from taxpayers.