Irish Examiner view: Alan Kelly saw writing on the wall

Labour leader lost the support of his party

Former Labour Party leader Alan Kelly speaking outside Leinster House after resigning on Wednesday evening. Mr Kelly said that his parliamentary colleagues had told him they had lost confidence in his leadership. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

The palace coup which saw the unexpected resignation of Alan Kelly as the leader of the Labour Party on Wednesday night illustrated fears within the organisation about its current relevance to the electorate.

Emotional and shocked by having the carpet twitched from under his feet, Alan Kelly nevertheless displayed commendable perspicacity and dignity in difficult circumstances as he walked away from a job many felt he had been destined to inhabit from the earliest stages of his political career.