Laois TD announces his resignation from Sinn Féin 

Laois/Offaly TD, Brian Stanley has announced his resignation for the Sinn Féin party. Deputy Stanley, who is chairman of the Public Accounts Committee,  said he was resigning from the beleaguered party after being subjected to what he described as a "Kanagroo Court".  Deputy Stanley's resignation is a further blow to the Sinn Féin party and its leader Mary Lou McDonald. It comes days after Kildare south and Laois native Patricia Ryan announced her resignation from the party. 

In a statement issued late last night, Deputy Stanley said: “I am announcing my resignation from Sinn Féin with immediate effect. After 40 years of service to Sinn Féin, I will now continue working as an Independent Republican TD on behalf of constituents, who have always treated me in a fair and respectful manner.

In recent months a certain clique within the party have gone to extreme lengths to damage my reputation and character. No efforts have been spared by them in this regard.

On foot of a “complaint” I was recently brought before an internal party “inquiry”. Given what has transpired and the work of my legal team, what is very clear, is this process lacked objectivity, was seriously flawed and was devoid of impartiality.

This “inquiry” has been shown to have lacked any shred of credibility, not least due to a significant abuse of process. In many ways it resembled a type of kangaroo court. Legal examination of this matter will continue.

Considering what I have experienced and how Sinn Féin has dealt with this and other matters across the wider party in recent months, I can no longer have confidence in it” 

More details of Deputy Stanley's resignation will be published in next week's issue of the Laois Nationalist newspaper and online.