How it unfolded: The political assassination of Alan Kelly

Kelly had been "detached" for some time and the loss of key advisors left him isolated in his role

Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

In 2015, during his tenure as Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Ohio congressman John Boehner said of leadership: "A leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk."

The political assassination of Alan Kelly by his own party on Wednesday was the result of months of internal strife, fuelled by an irrevocable disconnect between the leader and his troops.