Labour selects Alex White to contest Dublin South By-Election

Alex speaks at tonight's Selection Convention

A Labour Party Selection Convention held in Kielys of Mount Merrion this evening (Thursday) formally selected Senator Alex White to be the Party’s candidate in the Dublin South By Election Senator White was the only nominee.

Alex White was a candidate in Dublin South at the last general election, when Labour secured 6,384 votes (10.43%). He was subsequently elected to Seanad Eireann where he is currently Leader of the Labour Group. Alex is also the Labour Party Spokesperson on Children. He contested the Dublin South By Election in June 2009 securing more than 10,000 votes.

Senator White was previously a member of South Dublin County Council and was Deputy Mayor from July 2006 to July 2007.

Since 1994 he has been a practising barrister specialising in employment and labour law. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and of the Kings Inns.

Between 1984 and 1994 Alex was a producer with RTE, where he worked in radio current affairs, and later as editor of the Gay Byrne Show.

Speaking this evening Senator White said that the refusal of Fianna Fail and the Greens to hold the by-elections in the three constituencies were there are currently vacancies was profoundly anti-democratic. “This is particularly inexcusable in the case of Dublin South where there has been a vacancy for a combined period of close to 18 months since July 2008. The people of Dublin South, Donegal South West and Waterford are entitled to the full level of representation provided for under the constitution and it is not acceptable that Fianna Fail and the Greens should use its voting majority in the Dail to prevent the by-elections from being held”.

“This is the government that has brought the country to the brink of economic ruin and that is presiding over record unemployment levels. The Live Register figures published last month represented the twelfth month in succession where they were in excess of 400,000. It has the lowest approval rating ever recorded by any government in the history of the state. This is a government that has lost all moral and political authority.

“The Labour Party would want to see a general election at the earliest possible date, in order to allow the people to pass verdict on this government. The government will attempt to hang on the very last minute, but in the meantime the very least they should go is give the people of Dublin South to fill the vacancy in Dail representation”