Fine Gael motion to distinguish party from ‘woke left’ rejected for ardfheis

Fine Gael’s executive council has shot down a grassroots motion calling for the party to affirm its centre-right status at its upcoming ardfheis.

The motion had support from several constituency organisations and branches, and generated significant discussion in recent days after it was publicised last week.

Supporters of the motion had labelled it an effort to distinguish the party from the “woke left” and reposition Fine Gael away from the “progressive centre” position it currently describes itself as occupying.

The executive council debated the motion’s inclusion on the agenda, or clár, for this weekend’s ardfheis for the first time last week, and reconsidered it again on Wednesday.

However, it is understood that it has not changed its initial view that it should not be included for debate at the party’s ardfheis. Sources suggested that this was despite Tánaiste Simon Harris favouring discussion of the grassroots motion.

The Fine Gael press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The draft motion asked the assembly to affirm Fine Gael as a “centre-right party, in the European Christian Democratic tradition”.

A document urging support for the motion, which had been circulated among members, argued that occupying the centre right was a “bulwark against the far right and populism”.

There is said to have been resistance to the motion at the executive council, amid concerns it could overshadow the report of the party’s Commission for Renewal, which is set to be a main discussion point at the ardfheis.

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David Higgins, a Fine Gael member, economist and newspaper columnist who was among those advocating for the motion, confirmed he had been informed that the motion was not accepted by the executive council and would not be on the ardfheis clár.

“Supporters of the motion are very disappointed at the news. We had been building support for this motion over several months,” he said on Wednesday evening.

Higgins has previously said that “the word ‘progressive’ is now tainted by association with the woke left and most voters already perceive Fine Gael to be on the right”.

Last week, a spokesman for Fine Gael said: “We received more than 440 motions from across the country for the two day ardfheis which will have at least 20 policy sessions.

“It is simply not possible, nor feasible, to debate this amount of motions.”

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Harris told his parliamentary party on Wednesday that he would place a significant focus on law and order in his keynote address on Saturday evening.

A summary of his remarks circulated by Fine Gael outlined that the party leader said he would also focus on ensuring taxpayers receive value for money across the public sector and other areas receiving State funding.

“He will also address the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence and the role Government can play in responding to its development,” the summary said.