McNamara loses whip but still wants to run for Labour

Clare TD Michael McNamara has said he wants to run for the Labour Party in the forthcoming general election, despite losing the party whip in the Dáil.

Mr McNamara was the only Coalition deputy to vote against the proposed sale of the State’s 25 per cent stake in Aer Lingus to International Airlines Group (IAG) when it was put to a Dáil vote yesterday.

Speaking afterwards, Mr McNamara said he still hoped to stand for Labour at the next election and party sources indicated he will be given a favourable hearing if he applies to rejoin the parliamentary party in the coming months.

“I want to stand for the Labour Party at the next election. I believe the Labour Party has done a good job in government,” Mr McNamara said.

Party whip Emmet Stagg said the consequences of voting against the party were well known, and automatically involved expulsion from the parliamentary party.

Mr Stagg said it was open to Mr McNamara to apply to the rejoin the parliamentary party, and his application would be considered by TDs and Senators at such a time.

Mr McNamara said the issue of “connectivity is hugely important” to him and expressed concern about the so-called golden share in the airline, which will be held by the Minister for Finance and gives the State a veto over any future sale of slots at Heathrow airport.

“In the past, that hasn’t worked, it hasn’t been enforceable,” Mr McNamara said. “Ultimately IAG is a business, it is purely a business. It is solely in the business of making money.”

While Shannon Airport is in his Clare constituency, Mr McNamara said there is more concern locally about “AI – artificial insemination of cattle – than IAG”.

Mr McNamara is the sixth Labour TD to lose the whip after voting against the Government since the Coalition took office.

Two of them, Tommy Broughan and Róisín Shortall, remain Independent TDs and are strongly critical of the Government.

Colm Keaveney, who voted against the Social Welfare Bill in 2012, later joined Fianna Fáil while Patrick Nulty resigned his seat in Dublin West.

However, Westmeath TD Willie Penrose, who resigned as minister of state in protest at the closure of Mullingar Army barracks, rejoined the parliamentary party after losing the whip for a period.

Speaking last night, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said he regretted Mr McNamara’s decision but repeated his view that the sale of the State’s 25 per cent share in Aer Lingus was in the best interests of the company and the country.