Bruton: I can unite party

The only challenger for the Fine Gael leadership today insisted he has the experience and skill to unite the divided party and ultimately lead the country.

As Enda Kenny’s opponents and supporters continued last-ditch lobbying, a bullish Richard Bruton said he was sure the party would push for a change of leader and he would win.

It is believed TDs and Senators are closely divided over tomorrow’s confidence vote with about a dozen parliamentarians thought to be holding the key to Mr Kenny’s survival.

“I’m not envisaging losing,” Mr Bruton said.

“I believe that this country needs change. I believe the party has appetite for change.

“I believe the crisis is so serious that we need someone, and maybe you will say this is someone blowing my own trumpet, I have called it right on the economy, and I have been successful as Minister for Enterprise and Employment who shaped the economic success we had before Fianna Fáil destroyed it.

“I’m passionate about the need to rebuild that and give to our people choices they should have had – a genuine, authentic Ireland not the glitzy, garish Ireland the Celtic Tiger produced.”

Mr Bruton said he felt Mr Kenny had taken Fine Gael as far as he could and warned that the party was performing way below its potential.

The Mayo TD is widely credited with having rebuilt Fine Gael from the grassroots up after resounding defeats in the ballot box in 2002.

“We are on the brink of real challenges and we need someone who has an understanding of those issues, who has the experience, who has called it right and can create a vision of a successful economy and successful society,” Mr Bruton said.

“We have to, in my view, have a leader who’s capable of convincing people, win their faith in that vision and we have to have someone who can implement it in government.”

Mr Bruton, who was sacked as finance spokesman and deputy leader on Monday after refusing to publicly back his leader, rejected the offer of an olive branch to rejoin the front bench if Mr Kenny wins the confidence vote.

The Kenny camp spent the last day weighing up options for a new front bench should he succeed. Lucinda Creighton came forward claiming she had been offered a post under Mr Kenny but said she would turn it down.

The TDs supporting a coup instigated by sacked TD Mr Bruton are spokesman Denis Naughten, Leo Varadkar, Olwyn Enright, Olivia Mitchell, Brian Hayes, Simon Coveney, Billy Timmins, Michael Creed and Fergus O’Dowd.

But Kieran O’Donnell – elevated to finance spokesman after Mr Burton’s sacking - has also turned on the leader and will vote against him.

The two sides of the parliamentary party will go head-to-head tomorrow at 11am when the 51 TDs, 15 Senators and four MEPs vote on whether to keep Mr Kenny at the helm.

Mr Bruton said it would be hypocritical for him to return to the head of the party after standing against Mr Kenny and insisted he would unite the party.

“I believe that I will be a unifying force in the party,” Mr Bruton said.

“I think the only thing that can now bring together the party, all the different elements, is a new leader. Under a new leader I think we can mend and go forward united.

“More important than that, we go forward united for a very clear purpose – it is loyalty to the people that is motivating this change. They have lost so much due to failed politics and we need to make our country secure again.”

He also said: “I believe I have the experience.

“I have called it right on many of the economic facts and the bubble economy we have falsely created.”

Later, Mr Kenny said he was ``extremely encouraged'' by strong support from inside and outside the parliamentary party.

He said he fully expected to win tomorrow’s motion of confidence.

“I look forward to winning the vote tomorrow and leading the party into another successful election as I have done on three previous occasions,” Mr Kenny said.

“I have been extremely encouraged, not only from the support I have received within the parliamentary party, but from members and supporters all over the country.

“This volume of support will ensure that I will carry the motion tomorrow and lead Fine Gael into the next election and, after, to the Taoiseach’s office.”