STRIFE OF BRIAN

BRIAN COWEN was facing renewed calls from his own party to quit last night after the Greens humiliated him by blocking new ministerial appointments and forcing him to bring forward the general election.

Just two days after voting confidence in his leadership, Fianna Fáil TDs turned their fire on the Taoiseach after he acquiesced to his coalition partners by shelving the appointments and naming March 11 as election day.

With the Government plunged into open warfare following the debacle, senior Cabinet ministers loyal to Mr Cowen were being urged by backbenchers to persuade the Taoiseach to step down.