Mitchell: leadership contest will be close

Dublin south-central TD Gay Mitchell has said this afternoon’s Fine Gael leadership election will be a close race.

Mr Mitchell is one of four people vying for the position, the others being Enda Kenny, Richard Bruton and Phil Hogan.

"The leadership question is wide open. Nobody’s going to win it on the first count," he said today.

"It literally depends on who will be first eliminated, because the transfers of that person could put the third candidate into second place and the elimination of the third candidate could put that person in."