Kells branch wants two Labour Meath East candidates

The Labour Party in Kells are calling for the party to run two candidates in the Meath East constituency. Senator Dominic Hannigan is due to be confirmed as the party’s candidate at the Labour Party Selection Convention for Meath East tomorrow (Thursday) at the County Club in Dunshaughlin. However, the Meath branch have tabled a motion for the convention, proposing the party adopt a two candidate strategy in Meath East. The Labour Party adopted a new system of candidate selection at their conference 18 months ago, which sees an outside panel pick candidates for the party. Kells branch member, Cllr Brian Collins, said it is the new selection process they are objecting to. He said it was similar to the one Fianna Fail used in the run up to the local elections which caused splits and divisions within the party that wasn’t needed. “We are facing a good election and we believe the party should be ambitious and put forward a running mate,” he said. “If Fianna Fail have two TDs and they are behind us in the polls, why can’t we compete for two seats,” he added. However, Senator Hannigan said the Kells branch’s proposal didn’t make much sense, and said the party would be hard pushed to win one seat, never mind two. He said he understood the party in Kells would like to run a candidate there, but even if a second candidate was run, there was no guarantee that the person would be from the Kells area. Cllr Eoin Holmes said he didn’t think running a second candidate was a good strategy and neither did the party.