Crowley loses FF party whip over Euro defection

The long-serving Ireland South MEP, Brian Crowley, is no longer a member of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party after the leadership said he "removed himself" by joining a group with far-right and eurosceptic views.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said it was a “step too far” by the poll-topper of 20 years to join the European Conservatives and Reformists with representatives who, he said, held views that were “racist, xenophobic, and homophobic in many respects”.

The decision was described as a “terrible turn of events” and a “sad day for the party” by Mr Martin’s constituency colleague and the party’s finance spokesman, Michael McGrath.

In a veiled criticism of the handling of the issue, Mr McGrath said he was “deeply saddened” by the “bizarre turn of events” and “we have lost someone of Brian’s stature and are left without a person in the European Parliament”.

Following a meeting of the party’s TDs and senators yesterday, a statement was issued by the party’s chairman, Brendan Smith, and whip, Seán Ó Fearghaíl.

“It was agreed that the ideas and principles of the ECR group and its component parties are totally incompatible with the core principles of Fianna Fáil,” it said.

“As a direct consequence of Brian Crowley’s unilateral decision to join the ECR group, he has removed himself from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.”

Mr Martin said the door would be left open to Mr Crowley to rejoin the Fianna Fáil fold if he went back to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, to which the party is still aligned.

Mr Crowley’s move raises questions about his publicly stated ambition to run for President. However, sources close to him believe he can still do so as he is still a member of the party.

Around number of TDs and senators argued that a decision should not have been made without Mr Crowley — who is in hospital — being there to speak for himself.