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DAVID MCGUINNESS, THE two-time failed Fianna Fáil by-election candidate, has quit the party today.
The Fingal councillor said he was “showing leadership and going solo” in the wake of what he said was Fianna Fáil’s failure to rebuild trust with people across the country after its historic 2011 general election failure.
McGuinness failed to win the Fianna Fail nomination to run in the general election in Dublin West where he was beaten by fellow councillor Jack Chambers in a controversial selection convention in February.
“There is a crisis of confidence in this country with regard to politics and Fianna Fáil has done nothing to rebuild the trust of the people across the communties of this country. These are the same communities who paid the highest price during the economic crash,” McGuinness said in a statement today.
“Some have made the issue out to be solely about the leadership ‘of the party’ but the issue at stake is leadership in general. As a local representative, I have always sought to represent my community and my country in a manner of politics that has been lacking in our political parties.”
The councillor had indicated last month that he was considering quitting the party, pledging to make his mind up before the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis later this month.
He fired a number of criticisms at the Fianna Fáil organisation and the leadership of Micheál Martin in February in the wake of his failure to get selected as the party’s Dáil candidate in Dublin West.
Speaking today, McGuinness said that he will continue to represent his constituents as an independent councillor.
He is the second councillor to quit the party in recent weeks following Kilkenny-based Patrick McKee’s defection to Renua.
There was no immediate comment from Fianna Fáil this afternoon.
McGuinness said that while it became the largest party in local government at the last election, Fianna Fáil’s support in percentage terms in Dublin is “lower… than ever before”.
The Blanchardstown-based councillor said there had been no mention of the “disastrous” European election results where Fianna Fáil returned only one MEP, Brian Crowley, who subsequently quit the parliamentary party. McGuinness added:
“Fianna Fáil is a party in denial who continually show they lack direction, solutions or a vision for the future of this country.”
Funny how he only decided Fianna Fail were no use after they didn’t select him. I don’t remember this fella ever making critical remarks when they were in government destroying the economy. Chancer.
“Chancer”, drop the h for an apt description of all FFers
He had no problem with FF when he was seeking their party nomination a few weeks ago. He’s just throwing his rattle from the pram now. He’ll run as an Independent now, he won’t get elected, nor will the FF man. He’s just paving the way for the FG/LAB candidates.
Rats of a sinking ship springs to mind on this occasion.
probably get rescued by the Renua paddle-boat
Quality intro “the two time failed by election candidate” !!
Also where do ye get the pics from? He looks like he just stood on a piece of lego barefoot at the same time as his mother is saying she wouldn’t even vote for him! Must be hard enough to find a politician without the gormless face on
How will I ever go on after hearing this news?.
Showing leadership, my arse… This muppet is a FF reject, deal with him accordingly next time he appears on a ballot paper!
Another self interested Fianna Failer.
He’s once ,twice, three times a looser …
Anyone who votes for Finna Fail, Finna Gael or Finna Traitors (Labour) need a brain scan.
@JackDexter – a scan to check for the prescence of a brain!
Well said Chris..
All out in 3016
All out in 2016
For good
Another sinking rat !?!?!
IMO FF has made the following huge errors:
1. Failure to admit that there were major policy mistakes made in 1997-2011 period, doing a special speech mea culpa while pointing out that the same policies (or worse) in some areas were followed by FG and Lab and whoever was in would have had the same crash.
2 Coming up with new, radical and innovative policies that put clear water between FF and FF2.0
3. Pretending to oppose things we know they’re actually in favor of and remember them pushing in office (like saying they’ll abolish water charges – everyone knows they wont)
4. Not pushing NEW faces to the front, the party needs people who an sit on VB and say truthfully “hang on I didn’t destroy any country I was a teenager/college kid when those decisions were made” instead they seem desperate to resurrect former Bertie-Biffo era heads on the short term goal that those will be popular in their OWN areas forgetting that any association with Bertie Biffo is bad for the country nationally
5. Eschewing a FF-FG alliance that a huge traft of the country would prefer to a SF led kaleidoscope govt.
Mouth agape, dumb struck look of bewilderment and surprise. The real face of FF.
Another Fianna Fail cinderella story
The twice unelected councillor at this stage will have become used to election failure so when he isn’t elected as an independent the blow won’t be so harsh , he should team up with that other great unelectable Lorraine Higgins and get tips on how not to be elected 4 times and how to alienate yourself from your core working class voter base and never be elected ,ever .
Showing leadership…interesting
Great statement, but dosn’t know what leadership is. I wonder is he trying to spin it or just plain deluded? I’d say if he dropped a mug of tea he’d say he was cleaning the floor with it
FF are an irrelevancy now… Martin has no chance of becoming Taoiseach. Only clear choice is between Enda Kenny and Gerry Adams following the GE in 2016.
You forgot to type unfortunately
I’ll do it for him ” Unfortunately ” .
Cheers Deco, but where would you put it, in front of Martin or Enda and Gerry?
Time Michael to step aside … He hasn’t the balls to run the party
Party in denial ………………….. candidate not selected quits………………… sour grapes perhaps!
What party in ireland can you trust anymore,and fianna fail,do us all a favour and just disband and disappear.
Run of the mill news….
A common feature of our elected officials. Doesn’t matter what party,if any, they are running for- they just want to be a TD and a big fat pay check.
“It is always advisable to be a loser if you cannot become a winner” FZ
Fianna who ?
A non-story.
I take it from the posts above McGuinness is not popular with the Journal’s commentators. Can’t think why….
If I were to draw what a typical Fianna Fáiler looked like, it would be the image of this chap. He has the quintessential Fianna Fáil head!
Ff a party of our past,present government parties the same,destroy them as they have destroyed people’s lives and banish them to the past also.mass nonpayment and if still there a no vote in endas referendums will force a GE,guaranteed.
Well, well well.
But hold on a sec. Would Mr,McGuinness still be in FF, championing their failed policies, championing the current leadership, like he did with Lenihan, Cowan and the rest, if he had won the nomination. Of course not ! He would have graciously stood down, in the interest of “the people” and he would have exposed FF for what they are, regardless of the personal sacrifice, wouldn’t he…… ?
FF seat now up in smoke IMO. David will run as an Indo, (mostly to thwart Jack Chambers and keep his profile up,) he’ll then re-join FF after they remove Martin, post the next election.
He could of course commit complete political Hari Kari and join Re-Nua.
Popcorn time again ! (Q McDonalds theme song )
It is time for Micheal Martin to resign. The state of affairs under Micheal Martin’s “leadership” is unsustainable for Fianna Fail. John McGuinness TD must be installed as the Party’s new leader, now, before it is too late and Fianna Fail becomes a southern version of the SDLP (which is where they are destined to go under Martin) after the general election.
Ah C,mon now David could smell the gravy the 90k+ salary plus unvouched expenses etc,He thought that he was going be 3rd time lucky.
Unfortunately David will have to rely on the Fingal council salary plus his teachers salary to get by on.
Another gombeen leach. Party or not, hope he doesn’t even meet the quota to get back his deposit.
I’m going to hazard a guess ….ff dint really give a flying fairy about this guy leaving?
He still won’t get elected wherever he ends up..
The state of him. So he wasn’t selected – and is now taking a ‘principled ‘ stand? Yeah right.
Castleknock trumps Blanchardstown. token working class people are fine for fianna fraud the council chamber ( pun intended ) but not in Leinster haus. Wrong school and wrong side of the N3 mr mcguinness. Maybe he can join Sinn Fein now ?
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