Lenihan ‘told TDs about his leadership ambitions’

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan made his leadership ambitions known and encouraged dissent among Fianna Fáil backbenchers over the course of last year, it has been claimed.

A number of party TDs disputed the minister’s claim that he never sought support for a possible heave against Brian Cowen, or expressed interest in the leadership.

“I’ve actually never said I would contest the leadership if there was a vacancy,” he said in an interview with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ.