Ivana Bacik has insisted that it was completely Alan Kelly’s decision to resign as Labour leader last week.
Ms Bacik said: “Alan took the decision.”
And she has defended the massive grassroots revolt against the way in which Mr Kelly had to stand down after the Labour Parliamentary Party (TDs and Senators) turned against him.
The true extent of this was revealed by the Irish Mirror over the weekend when we ran a report of a secret meeting of Ms Bacik’s own Dublin bay South constituency council.
Many of Ms Bacik’s own constituency “comrades” slammed their local TD at the meeting, saying they were “disgusted,” ashamed” and “moved to tears.”
The new Labour leader in waiting has spoken out for the first time since she was one of the 11 Labour TDs and senators that forced Mr Kelly onto his sword last week.
Mr Kelly formally resigned last Wednesday, but his hand was effectively forced after formerly loyal party TDs, Duncan Smith and Seán Sherlock told Mr Kelly they no longer had confidence in him.
This left Mr Kelly with none of the party’s other six TDs and four Senators backing him.
Ms Bacik has emerged as the only TD left in the running to become the new leader after the remaining five TDs declared no interest - the Labour rules means only a TD can be leader.
Speaking to RTE’s News at One, Ms Bacik said: “A collective decision was taken as has been explained and outline by my colleagues…. There were a number, a combination of factors that led to Alan taking the decision, it was a collective and unanimous decision.
She added: “Alan spoke in a very dignified fashion about his reasons for resigning and indeed his own primary desire, as he expressed on Tipp FM last Friday, was to ensure the party would move forward in a unified manner.
“I think that’s hugely important, that whoever’s leader, that we ensure reuniting of the party, rebuilding, because now more than ever we do need Labour values front and centre, we need that centre left, a constructive voice for change.”
Ms Bacik said: “It was a combination of factors that led to Alan taking the decision.”
The imminent leader addressed the grassroots unrest.
“There was a general shock, I think all of us were taken by surprise by the speed with which events moved and clearly we would have liked to have had more time, Alan would have liked more time, but that’s how things happen in certain cases, but it wasn’t of anyone’s choosing.
“We move on, we look to the future to ensure that Labour values are front and foremost in political debate.”
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