Labour’s revival

The Austrian students in O’Connell Street who wanted a photo for their travel blog 

This morning we were at Connolly Station with Brendan Ryan TD who seemed to know everyone coming in from his Dublin Fingal constituency.

When the Labour Party vote collapsed in 2016 we were shattered. We knew it would be a difficult election, and that we had lost support as a consequence of our participation in government. We expected a bad result for the party, and we were right. Our first-preference vote was less than 7% nationally. And we failed to pick up transfers in the way we always have in the past. It was a disaster.

In the three years since the general election we have been re-building our organisation, and doing so very effectively under Brendan Howlin. It is heartening to see so many young people running in the local elections in Dublin, and over half of our candidates are women. This bodes well for our future. We have held our core support, and many more people are telling us that they are prepared to vote for us again - having taken a break the last time! Of course some mistakes were made while we participated in government; but we did an enormous amount of good too. People are prepared to look at Labour again. That’s definitely the message Brendan Ryan and I were getting this morning. It was the same later in Willow Park and Cedarwood in Dublin 11. Andrew Montague is an excellent councillor. His area has changed following the last boundary review but there is massive recognition for the work he does on Dublin City Council. It was a pleasure to canvass in the sunshine with Andrew and his team.

Later we met up with Joe Costello and did a lively sweep up and down Stoneybatter, finishing up door-to-door in Kirwan St cottages. Then on to meet up with Cllr Rebecca Moynihan in Dublin 8.

Quote of the day: “You will have my fifth preference ahead of (candidate name) who will be sixth” - the journalist/commentator I met outside the Gresham Hotel. I have been wondering all day who his No 4 will be!