FF executive votes to expel Flynn by huge majority

The Fianna Fail National Executive has voted by an overwhelming majority to expel Ms Beverley Flynn from the party.

The Fianna Fail National Executive has voted by an overwhelming majority to expel Ms Beverley Flynn from the party.

Meeting tonight, the Executive voted by 81 votes to five to remove Ms Flynn from Fianna Fail. Ms Flynn lost the parliamentary party whip on Tuesday.

Her expulsion motion was proposed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen and seconded by the Minister for Communications Mr Dermot Ahern.

Ms Flynn left the meeting after making a statement and was joined by her father Mr Padraig Flynn outside Leinster House where she criticised the procedures saying people had been intimidated by the absence of a secret ballot.

READ MORE

She said she had spoken for 30 minutes and complained about being obliged to leave the meeting without hearing what was said by those who backed her expulsion.

A small number of Ms Flynn's supporters had traveled from Mayo tonight for the meeting, though there were signs of division within the county organisation.

One of Fianna Fáil's two cumainn in Castlebar yesterday told the party's general secretary, Mr Seán Dorgan, that it supported Ms Flynn's ejection from the party.

The Executive is discussing a motion calling for Ms Flynn's expulsion "for conduct unbecoming" following her Supreme Court libel appeal defeat.

A number of figures, including Ms Flynn's father, Mr Pádraig Flynn, and Senator Mary White have been lobbying on her behalf, but the majority of executive members accept the need to expel her.