Luke Dalli quits ONE, Patrick Dalli accuses Labour officials of ‘fascist attack’

Luke Dalli, a host on Labour media ONE TV and ONE Radio for the past 14 years, has announced he will not be hosting a programme in the upcoming winter schedule.

“It is a very hard decision for me, which I came to after several events that happened in the past years, months and weeks, but above all after a long consultation with the people I love the most in my life,” he wrote on a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The son of European commissioner Helena Dalli, Luke Dalli has hosted a number of television and radio shows on the Labour media stations.

He said that given he was “born into the Labour Party”, the decision has been hard on him, but feels “it had to be taken, and it had to be taken now.”

“I am proud to have had the opportunity to provide 14 years of service,” he said.

Dalli is not the first major outgoing on Labour media over the past months, after former Labour mayor and stalwart Alfred Zammit announced that he would be moving his television programme ‘Kalamita’ on Smash TV.

Luke Dalli’s announcement coincides with reports that Prime Minister Robert Abela is pushing back against suggestions by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to have Helena Dalli once again nominated as Malta’s commissioner. The commission president wants a woman in the role.

Sister newspaper Illum reported that Dalli is allegedly attempting to sabotage Glenn Micallef, who is Robert Abela’s choice for commissioner. She has denied the reports, saying she had more than enough experience to know where reports of dubious purpose originate.

But Helena Dalli’s husband, Patrick Dalli, went a step further and on social media alleged that two senior Labour Party officials are attempting to politically harm Dalli’s chances for commissioner.

He described it as a “fascist attack” against a woman who “dedicated her life to the Labour Party and the Maltese people”.

“Soon you will know the manoeuvres that were made in the appointment of the President of Malta by two high-ranking officials of the Labour Party to harm Helena's credibility," Patrick Dalli said.

Dalli was touted to be in the running for President of the Republic, but eventually Miriam Spiteri Debono was government’s choice for head of state.  

READ ALSO: Editorial | Abela should not replace inexperience with entitlement