Sinn Féin Hold EU Election Convention Sinn Féin will be holding a selection convention on Sunday 14 July, to pick their candidate for the European Parliamentary elections. The EU election will be held on the same day as the Local election next May. Leitrim Sinn Féin Councillor Martin Kenny is contesting the convention to become the party’s candidate for Europe. Other contenders in what is expected to be a close run contest are Cllr Rose Conway Walsh from Mayo, Cllr Matt Carthy from Monaghan and Senator Kathryn Reilly from Cavan. The Convention will be held in the Radisson Blue Hotel in Sligo at 5pm on Sunday 14 July next, where each Sinn Féin member in attendance will vote to select their candidate for Europe. Over the past few months it has become clear that Ireland will have one less MEP as the European Union expands to include Croatia. This reduction has a knock on for the boundaries of the EU constituency which are also certain to change. While the boundaries have not been set yet, the general consensus is that there will be three constituencies; Dublin being one, with the rest of the country then divided into two constituencies, roughly north and south of a line from Dublin to Galway. However it could be several months yet before the final decision and setting of boundaries is made by the authorities and Sinn Féin have decided to go ahead and select candidates as time is running on toward the EU election in May of next year. Cllr Martin Kenny said, “It would be considered that I am geographically the best placed of the nominees and I have a high profile, having contested two general elections in Roscommon-South Leitrim. I would be very well known among the Sinn Féin membership and I am getting great support for this EU campaign. With anger growing every day toward the elite in banking and politics, Sinn Féin will be hoping to take a seat in the European Parliament in each constituency and increase our representation at Council level across the whole country.” “We need leadership in Europe where the plight of decent people being forced into poverty by EU policy makers is effectively challenged. A new consensus for a different agenda is emerging among the people of Europe. This is because working people are painfully experiencing the austerity policies of the present ruling class in Europe, policies that are closing businesses and destroying economies everywhere. Five years on and the banking and debt problems, which these policies are supposed to be fixing, are only getting worse. Ireland needs strong voices in the EU, to work with other MEPs representing the interest of ordinary people across Europe, to end these bankrupt policies. The EU needs put money into the hands of the people, through employment schemes, support for business and investment programmes, rather than pouring it down the drain of bank bailouts. In the past Sinn Féin has shown an exceptional ability to negotiate on the big issues and it is these skills that Ireland needs now, if we are to secure a future for our people. It has become clear to everyone, that the battle is between the ordinary people of Europe and indeed Ireland, pitted against the influence of the global financial industry, who despite all the failure, are still in control, on the European stage and here in Ireland. I believe the time has come for real stand up and fight politics and I’m ready for the challenge of this EU election,” concluded Cllr Kenny.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:24:01 +0000
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