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Sam Boal

This was not a vote of anger, it was a vote of community

The Taoiseach says it was anger that led to his party’s poor performance over the weekend, but the problem is more fundamental than that.
“It’s frustration and it’s anger, and it’s saying, ‘Show me where the return on my challenge and the sacrifice I have made is’”.

WHEN THE TAOISEACH spoke on Saturday night, he was perhaps channeling his inner Jose Mourinho.

‘The Special One’ has a habit in the wake of a defeat to give a soundbite that pushes the focus away from his Chelsea team. Blame referees, talk about resources or put it down to the alignment of the stars; as long as the microscope is never put on the failings of his team or, heaven forbid himself.

So, when Enda Kenny said that Fine Gael’s performance, which is down on the 2009 local and European elections, is down to austerity, he not only does a disservice to the electorate and the successful candidates, he papers over one of his party’s biggest weaknesses.

Because the reality for Fine Gael is this: there are large pockets of the country that don’t see them as a community party.

They are trusted with the keys to the car, but nobody wants them changing the oil. In Cork City, three of the six wards didn’t return a single Fine Gael councilor.

In Dublin, the large constituencies, which all expanded in these elections, mean that the party is picking up seats, but not at a rate that will put them in control of any local authorities.

In working-class areas particularly, the vote flocked from Fine Gael and Labour to candidates the community trusts. Parties and independents that have reputations for hard work with local clubs, organisations and bodies won out.

As much as the Labour Party’s vote collapsed, those who wanted what the party traditionally offered at council level still voted for those ideals.

In Lucan, two sitting Labour councillors – a former mayor and deputy mayor of South Dublin – lost their seats. In their place were parties that are known for their community work (Sinn Fein, People Before Profit), independents or well-known community activists like Fianna Fáil’s Ed O’Brien.

This trend was seen across the board, as single-issue candidates and those with deep ties to communities won out.

As one Fine Gael member, who worked with an unsuccessful candidate, put it at Saturday’s count in the RDS;

“The council is very much about the front-line services and people are recognising that. When you’re in the capitalist party of law and order, some people think you won’t make a good councillor.”

This is echoed by a Labour member.

“It’s a shame because good councillors will lose their positions, but they’re losing them to the left, mainly.”

So, why the belief in left-leaning independents and parties?

“It’s fairly simple,” says a newly-elected Sinn Féin councillor.

“People believe that the people they’re electing are most like them, so they trust them to fix the issues that matter to them.”

So, while austerity may have played some part, both Kenny and Eamon Gilmore need to do some soul-searching to establish just why there is a disconnect between their candidates and the community.

The only good news is that the next locals are five years away.

Read: Who is your new local councillor? Here’s a list of everyone elected so far

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14 Comments
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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    May 26th 2014, 7:29 AM

    The establishment is rotten & corrupt to the core, people are fed up with one revelation after another and total lack of accountability.

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    Mute Marlon Major
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    May 26th 2014, 7:17 AM

    I understand the theory that the most recent election results are a backlash to the past six years of austerity and dissatisfaction of the banking crises.

    But what I don’t understand is what does a local councillor’s political party affiliation have to do with their ability to manage local resources and satisfy the needs of their constituency.

    Sadly, I believe local elections are a joke. As I went into this election I realized I knew nothing about the local candidates. I was even more amazed that there was no information about their platforms, their experience and their plans. In a digital age there should have been loads of information. But instead, all I saw was stupid posters littering sign and light posts throughout the city with kooky looking faces staring out at me. Vote Number 1… How ridiculous… Voting because of looks? No wonder Muppets like Kenny Egan was voted in… Can he even read and write?

    I guess the plan by the national government to keep us ignorant through their lack of information and double talk has transcended the local politicians because they have given no more information.

    No local debates, no access to local candidates and no understanding of how the plan to make their election promises happen….

    Clearly more of the same a displeasing merry-go-round without the ability to get off.

    68
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    Mute Shit you not
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    May 26th 2014, 8:03 AM

    I know exactly what you mean. I was door stepped a few times..once I had the outgoing FG councillor with the new candidate who he was canvassing with, asked them what they were going to do about the lack of facilities in the town(from the mid 90′s until boom time the population surged from 500 – 4000) there isn’t as much as a tennis court or basketball court. Oh and BTW, this outgoing FG councillor happens to be the local estate agent and was responsible for selling the houses he had a part in re zoning the area to accommodate them..funny that! Anyway, he spent his time in office pushing for the new estates to be built and did NOTHING else. No playground, community centre..nothing.
    So they’re standing there and I get this response “you should get a you and few local people to represent the rest of the people and campaign to the council for these facilities”!!!!!! WTF were they standing there for? Is that not what he’s asking for votes to do?? I ran them. Disgraceful!!

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    Mute James Comerford
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    May 26th 2014, 9:25 AM

    Marlon, are you seriously saying there isnt some type of semi local whip system with Councillors who are party alligned ? Because there is, and id imagine that people are sick to the teeth of that.

    Didnt a fine gael / fine fael fingal council block the Dublin Mayor Democratic Election that was floated.

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    Mute Marlon Major
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    May 26th 2014, 9:46 AM

    James, it appears that local councillors work in unison for their own needs or anterior motives. However, write a letter or email to a councilor, seldom is there a response. If there is a response, the response delivers no assurances or possible solutions. A letter to a councillor after a councillor response (if you get one) clarifying or checking up or on the progress of the subject matter is left unanswered. .. Such letters are viewed as harassment or bullying to the councillor.

    Ask when the next council meeting is to occur. .. Your given vague times and dates.

    Are councillors representing us or their own interests?

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    Mute Marlon Major
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    May 26th 2014, 9:49 AM

    There’s so much in our country that requires fixing.

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    Mute Roy Scott
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    May 26th 2014, 7:16 AM

    Just like the household charges was ‘supposed’ to be for local community needs….the people thought they might as well get locals to run the county councils?

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    Mute Joe Mahon
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    May 26th 2014, 6:58 AM

    Seems like your suggesting that FG realign itself as a left wing party Paul?

    Dublin electorate is very fickle. Let’s look back over the last 12 years.

    2002: FG wiped out in Dublin as FF surge

    2007 & 2009: SF had 2 poor outings in Dublin while labour capitalised and FF cleaned up in 2007 especially.

    2011: labour surge in the capital while FF are wiped out.

    2014: labour meltdown as SF gain all over Dublin.

    2016: ????who knows

    Every major party has been trounced in Dublin at some point in the last 12 years. Even the PDs and greens were wiped out.

    Meanwhile in rural Ireland things are a lot more predictable. The Fianna Fáil people will vote FF, and the Fine Gael people will vote FG. Few independent and a few SF thrown in the mix sometimes.

    Irish politics in a nutshell.

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    Mute Helen Kenny
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    May 26th 2014, 8:45 AM

    I said it when a certain Facebook page took to calling people stupid paddys ystd… why would I vote for someone who stuck a poster on the pole who I dont know of ,has never been involved in the area, had not decency to canvass area ,dont live in area ,dont tell me how they intend helping area, ..just because they knew people were fed up with goverment that a picture with someone calling themselves independent or aaa or whatever would get them a vote was stupid on their part they seemed to forget it was local elections were people like to know who local councillors are …

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    Mute Stephen Todd
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    May 26th 2014, 8:02 AM

    “A vote of community”…Maggie Thatcher would be turning in her grave

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    May 26th 2014, 10:23 AM

    If we had a leader like Thatcher we would never have ended up in this mess in the first place . She had the quality of a great politician a set of balls .

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    Mute Brian O' Connor
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    May 26th 2014, 9:58 AM

    Websites were available weeks ago giving the potential candidates running in both the local and European elections. It is easy enough to find out what each candidate stands for and what policies they advance. Relying on posters or canvassers is a bit haphazard.

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    Mute Marlon Major
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    May 26th 2014, 10:53 AM

    Brian… I searched the websites for local councillor information. I found them lacking, wanting and Un-user-friendly. I found, for candidates that chose to use the vehicle, that it held little information about their platform or how they plan to make their promises happen. In one case, a candidate who is an architect, promised to get more housing built, support small business owners and create more local jobs.

    Now, he didn’t state his qualifications, how he planned to make his promises happen, what past experiences he had that illustrate his abilities to make things happen and how he has engaged with our local council thus far. His page was practically empty. He is an example of how candidates fail to get their information out and educate us about themselves.

    What’s even more maddening. .. Is that our taxes go to support these campaigns… The posters and website.

    Yet another example of wasting our money.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    May 26th 2014, 12:17 PM

    It was not just anger at austerity…people knew things would not be as good after the crash, but they were promised IN SPITE OF that , that xyz would be the case , by this shower , when they ran, they ran on universal free healthcare and education, labour ran on no water charges, fg ran being against stealth charges….

    They’re being punished not for making hard decisions but for ignoring their 2011 promises

    4
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