FG hoping that simmering row won’t damage campaign

Date Published: 06-Jan-2011

That row in Fine Gael in Galway East over the addition of Senator Ciaran Cannon to the election ticket by the party HQ, was still a very raw nerve with some in the party this week. Top brass will be hoping that it settles down.

It will be crucial to FG hopes of possibly snatching a third seat in the four-seater Galway East that the party supporters ‘vote down the ticket’ and transfer with maximum possible efficiency, if FG are to be ‘in with a shout’ of a seat gain.

In other words, FG will be looking for the sort of ruthless efficiency in use of the PR voting system, that was once associated with Fianna Fáil. FF in their heyday were legendary in getting maximum efficiency out of their vote and not allowing any to stray to other candidates.

It’s hard to believe that in this constituency where the second Fine Gael seat was always a ‘marginal’ which could be in danger of falling to Fianna Fáil, the Fine Gael strategists are now openly talking of the possibility of Fine Gael taking three.

It’s a fair indication of the parlous state of FF support as shown in the national opinion polls that predictions are that they will struggle to hold more than one seat in practically any constituency. And that includes Galway East!

However, I always warn that you must never write-off Fianna Fáil, especially in a constituency like Galway East where they were once capable of scoring almost 60 per cent of the first preferences, where they had 40 per cent in 2007 and where their dyed-in-the-wool supporters most certainly will not vote for Fine Gael. The hand would wither!

The polls are the reason that FG strategists are ‘chalking down’ Galway East for two seats, and ‘a possible third.’ To do that, one thing they must do is solve that simmering row in the constituency over the FG selection convention and the addition of Senator Cannon to the candidate ticket.

At the convention a few weeks ago the delegates voted in the following order – Councillor Paul Connaughton jnr., Councillor Tom Mchugh, Councillor Jimmy McClearn, Councillor Michael Mullins, Councillor Peter Feeney, and Senator Ciaran Cannon.

In fact, former PD Leader Cannon got only 20 votes. But, on joining Fine Gael, he had been assured by the party leadership of a place on the ticket. In fairness, it also should be pointed out that in 2007, when he stood for the PDs in Galway East, he showed himself very capable of getting votes and of being no political novice – when he polled 3,300 first preferences.

On the night of convention, the two spots open to delegates to fill (one in the north of the constituency and one in the south) went to Paul Connaughton jnr. and Jimmy McClearn.

But the row broke out when a few weeks later, Senator Cannon was added to the ticket by party HQ in the southern end, while the northern end vacancy was expected this week to go to Tom McHugh.

Strategists will be keeping their fingers crossed that the ticket ofPpaul Connaughton jnr., Jimmy McClearn, Ciaran Cannon and Tom

McHugh will win the support of their supporters ….. and that, faced with the possibility of being in government and winning a third seat in Galway East, the ‘true blue’ supporters would produce Fianna Fáil-like loyalty.

Perhaps one seasoned Fine Gaeler put it best this week when he said ….“I think people would have preferred that the ticket would better reflect the votes of the delegates to the Fine Gael convention …. but, when it comes to the campaign, I think people will work for the party to retain its two seats, and, on a good day, maybe to be in with a shout for another.”

For more of John Cunningham’s analysis of Galway East and a word of the campaign already under way in Galway West, see page 12 of this week’s Tribunes.