Labour rebel highlights deepening party rift

Rebel Labour TD Colm Keaveney last night highlighted the deepening rift between him and his party by claiming Pat Rabbitte “played the man and not the ball”.

He also criticised Labour leader Eamon Gilmore.

Galway East Mr Keaveney reacted to the criticism of him by Mr Rabbitte — in which the communications minister said the party could not have people “pirouetting on the plinth of Leinster House” and “parading their struggle with their conscience” — by claiming his son Luke had got upset when he heard the comments on Morning Ireland.

Appearing on The Late Late Show, Mr Keaveney — who is still chairman of the Labour party despite his expulsion from the parliamentary ranks after voting against the Social Welfare Amendment Bill — said: “There has been a lot of reckless commentary from senior figures in the Labour party in the last 10 days.

“Pat was playing the man and not the ball. It was a fine performance from Pat Rabbitte but at the end of the day it was an attempt to deflect from the fact that we had made a volte face.”

When asked if he admired Mr Gilmore, Mr Keaveney said: “I find it very difficult to admire someone who has publicly criticised me over the last 10 days.”

He said since he voted against the budget he had received around 20,000 messages of support across various media and from around the world.

He denied his decision to vote against the budget was opportunistic.

He said he felt convinced he was doing the right thing when his mother told him she had seen a woman in a local supermarket unable to pay for groceries at the till.