Sinn Féin TD resigns from party, citing “psychological warfare”

'My unplanned pregnancy was a stick to beat me with.'

Sinn Féin TD Violet-Anne Wynne has resigned from the party after falling victim to "psychological warfare", according to a statement issued late on Thursday evening. The Clare-based TD was elected to the party in February of 2020, but has said she will not be renewing her membership after feeling "isolated" by her fellow members. Elaborating on her time with Sinn Féin, Wynne contended that the party suffers from a lack of structure.

"The issues I continuously faced seem to be at local level within the organisation and structures and lack of," she said.

"I believe that the administrative side to the party and the organisers wanted me to stand down and have been actively seeking this through gaslighting measures and what can only be described as psychological warfare.

"I have tried to force the comradery and on many occasions, I informed them of the impact of their actions on my personal wellbeing and my work but it was to no avail."

Wynne, who is on "some form of maternity leave" following the birth of her sixth child, argued that her pregnancy led to tensions with her employer. "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," notes Wynne's statement as quoted on Friday morning by the Irish Examiner. "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," Wynne said. "I now have experience that I can no longer ignore that states otherwise." Wynne added that her relationship with the party had become "untenable" but did underline that she "cannot fault" Sinn Féin TDs operating in Leinster House, reiterating the apparent issues at local level. As of Friday morning, Wynne's profile is still active on the official Sinn Féin website. The party has yet to issue a statement of its own on the matter.