Election Online – The Opposition

As I’ve mentioned previously, Labour have probably made the greatest impact on the blogging sphere during this election, at least among the opposition parties. Their party website (www.labour.ie) is a blog in all but name, and therin are links to several of the party’s election hopefuls.

Eric Byrne is Labour’s election candidate in Dublin South Central. He is also a member of Dublin City Council, and his profile is available here http://www.labour.ie/ericbyrne/ .

Byrne talks straight from the shoulder on many issues, and is particularly strident in taking the media to task. Byrne has criticised both the Sunday Independent and The Irish Examiner in recent postings, the former for glamourising drug abuse and the latter for an article on the disabled.

However, he also has a wry sense of humour, as the photo below shows well :

I certainly think it’s the first time a website has ever run for Dáil Éireann.

Cllr. Aidan Culhane (http://www.aidanculhane.com/index.php) is Labour’s election hopeful in Dublin South. He is currently a councillor for the Dundrum electoral area in South Dublin, representing Balally, Ballinteer, Churchtown, Clonskeagh, Dundrum, Goatstown, Marley and Windy Arbour.

Culhane’s policy proposals are interesting enough, and he has spoken stridently on special needs education and of Ireland’s position on Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants.

He also seems to have a welcome rebellious streak, criticising Pat the Rabbitte’s pact with Inda Kinny as being disasterous for Labour. In an age when most TDs ride the party wave, it’s refreshing to see a mere councillor speaking out.

However, the reason I highlight Culhane’s blog is probably his stance on stamp duty. I nearly fell off my chair to see a Labour candidate supporting the Mad Mullah himself, Michael McDowell! Will wonders never cease?

Liz McManus has been a stalwart of the Labour front bench for years, and its pleasing to see her energy hasn’t diminished over time. The Wicklow TD (http://lizmcmanus.blogspot.com/) is known for walking on the left side of the street, even for Labour, and so her stance proves.

On her blog,McManus champions the Civil Unions Bill for homosexual couples, and also tackles the Government on class sizes, rural infrastructure and health. She also has a wry swipe at Minister Dick Roche, who she notes ‘has a head shorn like a freshly cut lawn.’ Splendid.

Moving into the rarefied confines of An Seanad, Senator Joanna Tuffy for is running for the Dáil in Dublin West ( http://www.tuffylabour.ie/wordpress/?m=200701) . Tuffy’s site is very much a work in progress; a ramshackle affair devoid of the spit and polish of so many other candidates.

An interesting aside is that Tuffy is pictured mounting the first Heuston-Lucan train since 1947! Parish pump politics, but just the sort of thing that may get you elected.

Writing this post has made me realise just how Dublin-centric the Labour Party has become. It remains the challenge for Labour to win seats outside the Pale if they are to help form the next government.

This is her Ard-fhéis address this year: