FG candidates critical of HQ on Jude call
BACKLASH AGAINST FG OVER CEASING MEMBERSHIP OF YOUNG MEMBER BY A TEXT MESSAGE SENT VIA WHATSAPP
IT was a significant own goal by the Fine Gael party locally to boot out two members of the Perry family who have given years of loyalty to the party because their husband/father is running as an independent candidate in effect.
The story broke on Friday and even by Monday morning the party’s two General Election candidates, Senator Frank Feighan and Councillor Thomas Walsh had distanced themselves from the party HQ decision.
Jude Perry had made a strong case expressing his surprise at having been expelled from the party and outlined all the initiatives he had done for Fine Gael in his young life to date.
He simply should have been treated with far more respect and dignity by a party and he was correct to state that he was astonished by the decision.
Senator Feighan told The Sligo Champion on Monday morning that he was disappointed at the decision party HQ took to cease Jude Perry’s membership and had texted him when he became aware of the situation.
“It was simply, wrong, unfair and clumsy,” he said, adding that personally he had great admiration for Jude and had travelled to Northern Ireland to assist him with a party event there.
Cllr Walsh said: “I know Jude a long time and have worked on many campaigns with him. He has done the party considerable service over many years. I was quite shocked when I heard of the decision last week. In my view, the decision to suspend Jude Perry`s membership was ill judged. I welcome the decision from head quarters that the decision has been suspended.
Jude says he received a notification by a WhatsApp text stating that his membership of Fine Gael had been ceased and that he had been removed as a member of the Sligo Leitrim constituency executive.
He says the notification came from the Fine Gael regional organiser Laura Comiskey who states she had information that he allegedly campaigned/promoted an independent candidate which was in “clear breach” of party rules.
She passed this information on to party headquarters who made the decision to cease his membership.
Jude, a student at Queens University told The Sligo Champion he had not canvassed for his father and had been in Washington since January 9 th
He said: “I have not been provided with any evidence or sufficient reason to support this decision to expel me, nor have I been consulted or asked for a response to state my case.
“This violated the norms of the Fine Gael constitution and there was a sheer absence of due process. This showed a profound lack of professionalism, and an absence of common decency. Moreover, it showed a clear lack of empathy and absence of due process,” he claimed.
He says he has been a long serving member of the Fine Gael Party and was elected as the constituency youth officer for the past two years.
“I have held numerous leadership positions within the party,” he says. He points out that he spoke at the National Conference in 2019 on the Northern Ireland panel.
“I established the first branch in the history of Fine Gael in Northern Ireland. Last year, I organised an historic event with Minister Helen McEntee and Tanaiste, Simon Coveney in Queens University, Belfast where I study History and Politics. This was The first Fine Gael hosted event in Northern Ireland.
“I am a member of the Fine Gael Northern Ireland Engagement Group, appointed by An Taoiseach last year. I am currently on a study exchange programme in the United States, studying in Washington DC, and out of the country for the election campaign so therefore not actively involved.
“I am shocked to see that Fine Gael headquarters has taken such a decision, in the manner in which it did. I have been expelled without a hearing, without evidence provided, and without a chance for a fair hearing and by a text message,” he says.
Jude says the decision has caused him substantial embarrassment as other members of the party were made aware of this decision before he was.
“Would this happen in another professional environment? Can an employer sack someone, without proper reason, without a fair hearing and by text?” he asked.
He claimed this was an attempt by Fine Gael to ostracise a young person, actively involved in politics. He says he has been unfairly targeted and was a vendetta against the Perry family.
Jude’s father, John, is a former TD and Minister of State for the party but he lost his seat at the last General Election in 2016 having gone to the HIgh Court to be added to the ticket after he wasn’t selected at a controversial convention in Sligo.
He also lost out at convention for this election but has entered the field as an independent.