Lee accuses FG of dirty tricks

GEORGE LEE last night angrily accused Fine Gael of unleashing a dirty tricks campaign against him after the party claimed cash concerns, not his conscience, led him to quit the Dáil.

As the increasingly bitter war of words between the two descended into personal abuse, the crisis provoked by Mr Lee’s shock resignation continued to rock the party as Enda Kenny was put on notice by a senior frontbench member that he would suffer “the consequences” if he failed to raise his game.

Energy spokesman Simon Coveney made the most overt threat yet to Mr Kenny’s position as the party attempted to limit the damage caused by the Lee affair.