And So they're off!

Believe it or not there is slightly more than 100 days left to polling in the local elections.  You wouldn’t think it given the weather we have. Polling will be on Friday May 23^rd. So at this stage you’d expect all the parties to have nominated and have their candidates up and run

Well , not quite so. Labour and Sinn Fein have nominated candidates in Wexford while the big two Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are evidently taking the scenic route to putting  a full team out on the pitch.  Add to that the number of independents who are likely to be on the ballot paper. Some have dropped out already, others have yet to decide. I’ve always wondered what Independent really means? Is it someone only interested in serving their community, or disgruntled at what a former party might have done?

Clearly the electorate aren’t interested in political ego’s and hobby horses.  What strikes me from knocking doors is that people are happy to engage on local issues. They want representation in their council.  They also want vision and are fed up listening to negativity.  The electorate accepts that councillors have no input in government policy, as one woman said to me recently “No party is popular but at least we see our councillor”. However a councillor for a government party is in a better position to go and set out problems to a minister than an opposition councillor can be.

And there’s the rub. All politics is local but not all local politics is based on national issues. There are plenty of local issues in Wexford politics that have moved off the political agenda in the last 3 years. The future of Wexford’s General Hospital is secure since early in the governments term, it was secured by Brendan Howlin and its future was the key election issue in 2011.  The announcement by the government before Christmas of more SNA’s removes another area of concern in Wexford.  Extra jobs for Wexford at Eischtec, Wexford Creamery, as well as projects like the new school builds, garda station will at least stabilise the local economy at what has been a time of national crisis.

So what about the future? That is what an election is supposed to be about! Some people will have you think  they want a re-run of the 2011 General Election (often people who opposed re-running referenda, but let’s pass on that one!)  

How can it be different? It’s the manifesto that sets out what the party will do when elected.  I genuinely believe that a local election is more important than a national election. That’s because more people have the right to vote and the councillor is more accessible and their impact more immediate. So it should be about how Wexford can maintain its position as the primary town in the county and how this can continue given that it will lose its council. It’s time we woke up to this and moved past the petty predictable guff that passes for politics in Wexford town.  

So let’s spell out how you can significantly transform Wexford. Merge the 2  IT’s in Carlow and Waterford into a university and base a school of it in Wexford.  We know that if you have a university you can base industries around it.  Provide the basis for Rosslare Europort to compete as a major container port on the national stage and use all the transport infrastructure to open it out, road and rail. Balance that in rural areas with the restoration of the beet industry and you have a rejuvenated Wexford developing in a sustainable way that is better able to withstand a slump than the old model which was built primarily on speculation and construction. It was a model I always felt was unsustainable. We can build a better Wexford one that can last regardless of outside economic shocks.

Taking the chains!

It’s a great honour and its something that is hugely important to me. Being first citizen is the highest office you can get in Wexford politics. Lets be straight up it’s the best job in Wexford politics and the oldest. The County Council is certainly better resourced and has a wider remit but being Mayor carries a historical legacy that goes right back to the 14th century.
When the Normans invaded and subsequently rolled out town governance, Mayor was an enormously powerful job in local politics. The mayor called the shots. He (and it always was a man until the 1970’s) raised taxes, militias, passed sentence, performed weddings, decided what was spent and was enormously influential.
Happily the stocks are long gone from Wexford and I cannot see the circumstances when a militia might be needed for the moment! The town sergeant precedes the Mayor at formal events bearing one of the towns 3 silver maces. They date from the 18th century and we know that because on the staff there’s a harp representing Ireland, the rose representing England and the thistle to represent Scotland. All 3 kingdoms mentioned but nothing about our nearest neighbour, the Principality of Wales!

The traditional open meeting to elect the Mayor took place in Wexford Arts Centre, the original home of Wexford Corporation. I always enjoy these meetings as a councillor because there is something hugely significant and important in electing a Mayor. Being Mayor in Wexford is a completely different proposition to being Mayor in a bigger urban area. You’re so much more accessible and recognised. You’re ex-officio a member of all committees in both the town and the district. Add to that my membership of the VEC and it makes for a busy year in terms of policy development as well.
Not to mention there’s the social side to it or as it’s been described “Eating for Wexford”! When I served as Deputy Mayor 3 years ago I got to see that side of the town’s social life. I’ve always tended to think differently of invites to social events to those who actually organise them. You’re there because of who you represent. The others can do R & R but the Mayor can’t.

But there is something hugely important in being Mayor, local authorities are often derided but without them who would step into the gap? Moreover a Labour Mayor has always a vision of so what is mine? Hanging on the wall of the Arts Centre last night was a poster that said “I see the world as it is”. How appropriate! I pointed out that if you come to terms with the past you understand the present mistakes and you can plan your future. We all have a future in this town however it is one within the context of social solidarity. We cannot make those who are worse off pay for mistakes of the past. If we are to have a future it is on the basis that we all opt in. We must talk up our town, Why is it that decentralisation to Wexford worked? We have a lot going for us here, It’s time to tell the world about Wexford.

3 Long days journey into night ends but what have we learnt?.

Relief at last! 3 days and over 2 hours after the polls closed the campaign is over. The long wait ended in success. I think I’m the last Labour councillor elected in the country in the local elections of 2009. Dun Mhuire Theatre in Wexford has seen many’s a drama down through the years but there’s been little in the last few days to compare with the ebb and flow of political fortune as votes for Wexford Borough Council were counted at Dun Mhuire.
On Sunday evening Davy Hynes was elected Wexford’s seventh councillor. After midnight on Tuesday morning I was elected as the 8th member. There’s 4 more to join me. The picture shows me being hoisted up by Labour supporters.
It was a biter sweet moment for me as my election was only secured off the back of transfers from my running mate Theresa Walsh who was eliminated after 2 re-counts. This took over 24 hours to establish.
Theresa had fought long and hard and I was very sorry to see her go out. She can be rightly proud of the campaign she fought and the work she did. Theresa lost a week canvassing early on due to a heavy cold. She put in a great performance in the local radio election debate. She’s a great candidate and she’ll be back. The picture of the box shows the moment when her transfers to me actually put me above the quota. Someday, it'll be Theresa getting the votes needed to elect her.

The obligatory shoulder hoist was captured for me by my sons who I’m delighted to have at the count. Being elected to any body once is an honour and privilege. I think the officials tried their best but it’s clear that the town has outgrown the unitary ward model and that we need wards back again. There were too many candidates and too many seats. The ballot paper was so big that I saw it slide off a narrow ledge in a polling station. In those circumstances how could you see my name on a ballot paper as I was third last alphabetically and what chance had the voter to see Walsh, the last of 23 names when the ledge is so narrow?
There’s another side to the long count, the officials who’re still counting on as I type should be in work Tuesday doing the business that they normally do. Instead they’re trying to make the unworkable work. I believe that its time to return to wards within Wexford. Only Wexford, Kilkenny and Clonmel have 12 seat constituencies. The effect of our boundary extension brings extra voters, more candidates and more time wasting. Perhaps going back to the past may solve a problem for 2014? In the meantime spare a thought for the remaining 5 candidates I left beihind in the wee small hours to battle it out for the 4 remaining seats.

Wexford Decides 2009, Labour gains

This morning in Dun Mhuire the ballot boxes were opened and the counting started. I was there for 9 and the first of the votes tumbled from the boxes. The tallymen set to work with their forecasts as to how the result might pan out. The picture is of counting and checking in progress. Last night after polls close the Labour candidates met to pour over how things went. I thought turnout could have been better. On our analysis the newer parts of town didn’t come out to the same extent as older more established parts.
On the available tallies today I’m happy that I’ve increased my vote beyond 2004 and that I’ll be re-elected. What really excites me is that George Lawlor will top the poll and that he will also take a seat in the County Council. Even better news is that Pat Cody will certainly take a seat on Enniscorthy Town Council and Bobby Ireton is looking good for a County seat in Gorey. Ollie Sommers is polling well in New Ross but there’s still a long way to go there. I hate to say I told you so but if you look at my blog I did forecast these results. Theresa Walsh also looks set to take Tommy Carr’s seat. This has been a remarkable election for Labour, its likely that we may come out of it with a minimum of 3 county councillors and 9 Borough or Town Councillors. Lets see what happens on later counts.

Labour conference; agenda for change

It can’t be conference time already again? There was a time when national conference was held only every 2 years but not anymore. This weekend sees Labour’s third party conference in 18 months, visiting the midlands for the first time ever. You’d think we’d maxed out on issues to discuss, but you’d be wrong and that’s a sign of a healthy thriving party. It’s become a cliché in Labour circles down through the years to say that this is the most important conference, but it’s my view that it is exactly that now, not so much for the party but for the wider body politic. Important because the issues we discuss are key to ordinary citizens in terms of their impact, not because there exist different views on solutions to these problems within the party. And that’s a huge and welcome difference from the time that I first went to Labour conferences in the 80’s.
What makes Labour’s Mullingar conference different to those of other parties is the extent of analysis of our societies problems and the ability of speakers to set out proposed solutions. We’re often criticised for having too many policies and sticking too long with our analysis but I’ve often believed that only in Labour do you get the honest, intense and passionate exchange of ideas and you can be in no doubt that Labour members and TD’s really hold out for what they believe in. In my time in the party we’ve seen Frank Cluskey principled stand over the nationalisation of Dublin Gas, Barry Desmond secured the liberalisation of contraception laws, Mervyn Taylor delivered divorce, Dick Spring contributed to peace in the north through the Downing St Agreement, gave his name to the Spring Principles and the subsequent IRA ceasefire. Niamh Breatnach for free 3rd level education and “Breaking The Cycle”. There’s plenty more now in the party where these came from!
It’s clear that there’s huge ability on Labour’s benches still. These TD’s provide the Dail with an opposition that is carved of the same backbone of those who stood up for values and vision in the 80’s. If there is an election this year and if Labour are in power as I believe we will be, I’ve no doubt that the class of 2009 will lead, challenge and change our society for the better, tomorrows reputations are being made today.
So here we are again at another crossroads and once more Labour is debating key issues in peoples lives; Lisbon, unemployment, the economy, the banks, education, health and social welfare. All of these issues and more will be fleshed out over the weekend. There will be debate, when you reflect on some motions you can see there is an argument on both sides.
I’ve always thought of the party being a national party of equal relevance in every corner in the country breaking beyond the Shannon. It’s a point that I made during the consultation a year ago on the 21st Century Commission and its ultimately one that party members must take on. We must make the party relevant in every village and street in the country. For that reason I confess to reading the agenda motions backwards! I see what a constituency or branch has submitted and then I read the motion to see what issue motivates that part of the country! It’s good for traditional strongholds of the party to listen to motions this weekend from the Rosses in Donegal, South Leitrim, Cavan, Sligo, West Limerick and Mayo. Listening at conference is as important as speaking. If such motions are a sign of a wider interest within Labour in parts of the country where the party wasn’t strong then I hope to meet new Labour councillors from Donegal to South Kerry after the local elections!
I’m going up on Friday afternoon for the opening as I wrote the Wexford addendum on primary education to include references to special needs education and that comes up on Friday evening. One motion that stands out for me that I’m pleased to support is Kilcummin, South Kerry highlighting the appalling decision by the government to withdraw funding for the cervical cancer vaccine for girls. I’ve no doubt that the motion will pass.
Now where’s my overnight bag and delegate card? I expect Eamon Gilmore will take a leaf out of the late Joe Dolan's book and send us home sweating on Saturday night!