Mitchell: Public backlash may cost me Áras

GAY MITCHELL fears an anti-government backlash may prevent him becoming the first Fine Gael president — despite winning the party’s nomination against the odds.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny insisted he was not disappointed by the surprise selection of the Dublin MEP as Fine Gael’s candidate at a special delegate convention at the weekend.

Mr Kenny had been thought to favour political maverick Pat Cox for the role, but he trailed a poor third behind Mitchell and fellow MEP Mairead McGuinness in a poll of some 600 Fine Gael parliamentarians, councillors and senior officials.