Labour divorces itself from ‘cheeky’ ad showing Micheál Martin and Gerry Adams as couple

Labour has insisted a controversial advert depicting Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil leaders Gerry Adams and Micheál Martin as a just-married gay couple was never meant to run, after widespread criticism of the draft election poster.

A senior Labour spokesperson was forced to distance the party from the reference to the potential alternative coalition after the image was leaked at the weekend.

The image depicts Mr Adams and Mr Martin celebrating a de facto political marriage, beside Independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly and left-wing colleagues Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett,with the tag-line: “This is one marriage we should vote no to this year.”