ENDA KENNY HAS indicated he is likely to run in the next general, after telling party colleagues in his constituency he plans to stick around.

The Connaught Telegraph reports he informed the party in Mayo he intends running in the next general election.

It is understood he told a meeting of colleagues in Castlebar on Sunday evening that he was ‘going nowhere’, though he did not say he would be contesting the next election as leader of the party. Kenny has previously insisted he will not lead Fine Gael into another election.

In July this year, there was an attempt by Fine Gael backbenchers to push Kenny into stepping aside as leader.

Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick described the party at the time as “rudderless”. However, colleagues rallied around the Taoiseach in this attempted heave, with leadership favourite (among the public, anyway) Leo Varadkar saying Kenny would decide in his own time when he wants to relinquish the leadership.

“He’s said that he doesn’t intend to lead the party into the next general election and he will go at a time of his choosing. I don’t think it would be right to push him, I don’t think it would be the right thing to do,” Varadkar said at the time.

It is understood a committee has now been set up in Castlebar to look at improving the party’s chances in both local and general elections.

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