Kenny accused of cowardice in debate row

ENDA KENNY’S election campaign got off to a rocky start yesterday as he was accused of running scared from an in-depth leaders’ TV debate.

The Fine Gael chief, who opinion polls place as most likely to be Taoiseach, dismissed new Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin’s offer of a three-way forum involving himself and Labour’s Eamon Gilmore.

Mr Kenny — branded a “chicken” by his would-be post-election coalition partners, Labour — insisted it would be better to open the debate to include the Sinn Féin and Green leaders.