Cowen in bid to show control amid mutinous calls

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen’s desperate attempt to show he was still in charge came in the midst of an unprecedented expression of mutiny from his back benches.

As Mr Cowen was preparing to meet his Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, to discuss the budget, the most senior party figure so far came out to support calls for a change at the top.

Tom Kitt, the former chief whip, said Mr Cowen could not expect the parliamentary party to ignore the controversy surrounding his ill-judged interview on Morning Ireland.