Keaveney hits back at attempts to oust him

Labour Party chairman Colm Keaveney has hit back at attempts by the party leadership to oust him from his position, following his vote against the budget, saying he will not engage in their “silly games”.

“The rhetoric, and the scale of the venom that is being used against me, is an attempt to badger-bait me into a public fight to distract from the real issue — that they have been complicit in breaking promises to the Irish people.

“I have been somebody that carried more weight than many other government TDs, in previously defending unpopular measures, and it’s amazing to see how quickly they have turned against me,” he said.