Labour Party ‘think-in’ for Nenagh

The annual “think-in” by the Labour Party’s top brass fixed for Nenagh next week could well turn out to be a very lively affair following controversy over the party’s failure to nominate its own candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election.

Almost certain to be aired at the meeting of members of its Parliamentary Party in the Abbey Court Hotel on Thursday and Friday of next week will be the controversial question of why Labour has decided to support the Independent left-wing candidate Catherine  Connolly instead of nominating a candidate of its own.

Labour has formally agreed to back Ms Connolly's campaign to become the next president of Ireland, saying, that while it has had “differences” with the Independent TD, it believes she is “the left” candidate.

Ms Connolly, a former member of Labour, criticised the party in 2016 saying it had “lost its soul”. She left the party in 2007 after a decision was made not to allow her run as Michael D Higgins’ running mate in the general election in Galway West.

The executive board of Labour and parliamentary party voted in favour of the party backing Ms Connolly in the upcoming presidential election.

However, national media reports stated that while her candidature is understood to have got significant backing from the party top brass, it was not universal. The controversy gathered more fuel last week when Labour’s high profile member Fergus Finlay revealed that he approached party leader Ivana Bacik back in January indicating he wanted to discuss with her the possibility of the party nominating its own candidate. However, he said it quickly became clear to him that his request was “going nowhere”.

Mr Finlay, who had sought the party’s nomination for the 2011 contest and considered a run in 2018, said he was “very disappointed” to see Labour supporting Catherine Connolly.

He said he accepted the democratic choice now made by the party but added: “I think it was a mistake, and I do not understand why she wanted our endorsement and I don't understand why she got our endorsement.

“Her relationship with the Labour Party has always been one bordering, I would say, on contempt... she's never had a good word to say about the Labour Party, never since [the party did not put her on the ticket for the 2007 general election],” said Mr Finlay, speaking on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk radio.

DELIGHTED

The party’s North Tipperary TD Alan Kelly said he was delighted to welcome the Labour Parliamentary Party to Nenagh.

Releasing details of the two-day think-in, Deputy Kelly said: “A full programme of discussion and meetings will take place as we prepare for the forthcoming Dáil term. We will be discussing healthcare, housing, education, policing amongst other issues.”

Deputy Kelly said the members of the parliamentary party will be visiting the Nenagh firm, The Lunch Bag, who will be demonstrating “the quality of meals that they are producing for schools around the country while they employ hundreds of people from Nenagh and surrounds.”

Deputy Kelly revealed that on Thursday night there will be a large gathering of local party members who will be meeting the parliamentary party for dinner - at which a number of presentations are due to take place to mark the occasion. “I look forward to welcoming my colleagues and national media to showcase my home town,” said Deputy Kelly, who like a number of his colleagues, is likely to be quizzed by journalists on why the party chose not to run its own presidential candidate.