Sinn Féin’s Director of Elections, Matt Carthy, revealed that he was unaware that Brian Stanley would not be standing as a general election candidate for the party. This revelation came after Mr. Stanley cited the timing of a complaint as the reason for him not contesting as a Sinn Féin candidate for Laois. Despite the internal party inquiry that led to Mr. Stanley’s resignation and the subsequent referral of a complaint to gardaí, Sinn Féin maintains that they have robust procedures in place for handling such matters.
Mr. Carthy, who was recently appointed as Director of Elections, expressed surprise at the turn of events, as he had assumed that Brian Stanley would be their candidate. He described his working relationship with Mr. Stanley as positive and highlighted that the news came as a shock to him. However, he acknowledged that a journalist had approached him weeks prior with questions regarding a complaint against Mr. Stanley.
Mr. Stanley’s departure from Sinn Féin adds to the recent turmoil within the party, following the resignation of another TD just days earlier. Despite the challenges, Mr. Carthy remains optimistic about the future of Irish politics.