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There was a major blue tide in America but the blue liberal wing of Fine Gael is also flexing its muscle and delivering a devastating blow to party leader Simon Harris just days before the party Ard Fheis
Fine Gael’s Executive Council has rejected party leader Simon Harris’s second attempt to put a motion on the agenda for this weekend’s Ard Fheis, dealing him a setback ahead of the party conference. The dispute highlights divisions over the party’s political identity and direction, with the motion’s supporters arguing that members should be able to debate whether Fine Gael is centre-right.
Proposed by Dún Laoghaire member Sarah Hynes, the motion calls for Fine Gael to affirm itself as a centre-right party in the Christian democratic tradition. The Executive Council reportedly rejected it by a substantial margin after Harris sought reconsideration; the Ard Fheis is due to take place at University College Cork on Saturday and Sunday. Some members say the party should define its position on the left-right spectrum, while others object to the motion’s framing and say the party need not adopt a label.
In short
- Fine Gael’s council rejected Harris’s request to debate the motion.
- The proposal would define the party as centre-right.
- The row is set to surface at this weekend’s Ard Fheis.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the motion argue that members should be able to debate Fine Gael’s political identity openly, and that affirming a centre-right Christian democratic tradition would give voters and members clearer principles to judge the party by. They may see the rejection as narrowing debate on an important question of direction.
The case against
Those opposed to the motion’s framing may argue that the party need not define itself through a left-right label, which could oversimplify its policies or constrain how it responds to changing circumstances. They may also consider the proposed wording an inadequate or divisive way to discuss Fine Gael’s identity at the Ard Fheis.