Email throws fresh fuel on Cardiff fire

A DESPERATE scramble to salvage the Government’s bid to plant Kevin Cardiff in a plum EU post saw the release of an explosive email that threw his nomination into fresh controversy.

Ministers piled pressure on MEPs to ignore the decision of a key European Parliament committee which voted against Mr Cardiff taking a lucrative position at the Court of Auditors after Labour TDs “ambushed” the current holder of the office in a Dáil committee showdown.

Eoin O’Shea, the outgoing Irish member of the court, was forced to make a groveling public apology for sending a stinging email, lobbying MEPs to block Cardiff’s appointment. Mr O’Shea was confronted with his email at a tense Dáil committee meeting where Government TDs insisted that it be read out, despite the auditor’s protests.