# 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

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/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-f/
- Published: 2026-11-04T23:06:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T23:20:54+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16266773/There-major-blue-tide-America-blue-liberal-wing-Fine-Gael-flexing-muscle-delivering-devastating-blow-party-leader-Simon-Harris-just-days-party-Ard-Fheis.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Americas, World

## Key points

- 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.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.