Kenny left reeling as photo op scrapped after backlash

Enda Kenny was forced to cancel a “triumphalist” PR stunt after Fine Gael was left reeling by accusations of staging an arrogant celebration of austerity.

Amid farcical scenes, the Taoiseach ordered the shutdown of a photo op at which TDs and senators were to parade with star-shaped placards marking Fine Gael’s “first year of achievement” after it provoked anger from Labour and a bitter backlash from the public.

Mr Kenny insisted he did not know about the photo op until yesterday morning. Fine Gael’s head of publicity Tom Fabozzi added that it had come up at the end of the parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday night: “I think a lot of people had probably tuned out at that stage.”