CLARE TD Violet-Anne Wynne (AD) has resigned from Sinn Féin due to what she labelled a campaign of “psychological warfare”.
Deputy Wynne joined Sinn Féin in 2012, one year after moving to Co Clare. The Offaly native was elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2020 General Election becoming the county’s third ever female TD. She will continue to represent the constituency of Clare but as an Independent TD.
On Thursday night, Deputy Wynne issued a statement which revealed she did not renew her membership of Sinn Féin and detailed ways in which she was poorly treated by the party since her election to the Dáil which included an absence of support. The party has yet to comment on the development.
Earlier this month, Violet-Anne gave birth to her sixth child, Collins, currently she is on “some form of maternity leave”. She stated, “I was a proud Sinn Féin TD and took my membership with the party very seriously, I believed that they were the party for United Irelanders and were the future for this island. I now have experience that I can no longer ignore that states otherwise.
“I entered Leinster House coming from the dole to the Dáil after navigating with great difficulties and with what many may call baggage which I was clear and honest about to the local representatives of the organisation at the time, from the start”. She continued: “I had assumed that after the election in 2020 I would receive support as I had clearly received the mandate from the people of Clare”.
Wynne said she was pressurised into decisions she couldn’t stand over “such as the staff the party wanted me to hire. I learned very fast that the party do not take kindly to autonomy and those who do not follow their plans.”
Sinn Féin TDs are not to blame, she clarified. “The Sinn Féin TDs in Leinster House I cannot fault but they are not tasked with making decisions locally and seem to be an entirely separate entity with no power to influence. The issues I continuously faced seem to be at local level within the organisation and structures and lack of”.
Persons in the party have been keen for her to stand down, Deputy Wynne believed. This, she said was evident as they “have been actively seeking this through gaslighting measures and what can only be described as psychological warfare”. She continued,“I have tried to force the comradery and on many occasions, I informed them of the impact of their actions on my personal well-being and my work, but it was to no avail. I feel I have been isolated and steps have been taken to ensure that I would face greater difficulties, locally. This is not a decision that I have taken lightly, and I have battled with the party for many months now trying to avoid this course of action as I wholeheartedly believed in them.”
“My unplanned pregnancy was also a further stick to beat me with and I am truly concerned for women who may want to come forward for Sinn Féin in the future, in Clare.”
Kilrush based Violet-Anne confirmed she would continue to represent the people of Clare but as an Independent citing her current position as “untenable”. Her future role she hoped would result in “a better representative with no obstacles put in my way any longer”.
Prior to her departure from the party, Violet-Anne Wynne was one of two elected representatives for Sinn Féin in Co Clare alongside Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF).
