Bradley Bytes: Soc Dems hedge bets on purple revolution!

Bradley Bytes – A Sort of Political Column with Dara Bradley

Bless. You’ve gotta love the positive energy of the purple brigade, the Social Democrats local election candidates, who are all sugar and spice and all things nice.

With their quirky ways and their even quirkier appearances, the Soc Dems and their small but loyal band of canvassers add a splash of colour to what has so far been a dull enough pre-election-campaign campaign.

Of course, it’s early days yet, and things will heat up closer to May 24, when the electorate starts paying attention.

But for now, it’s nice to just admire the Soc Dems and their enthusiasm and optimism.

Take Sharon Nolan, for example. Sharon, a prominent member of the Galway ‘Yes’ campaign in the referendum for marriage equality, is running in City Central. She’s chairperson of Galway Community Pride, and has campaigned for funds for Teach Solais, the LGBT+ resource centre.

Like other Lefties in the race, Sharon is eyeing the seat vacated by Labour’s Billy Cameron, who is retiring.

Another Leftie who fancies their chances in City Central is People Before Profit candidate, Joe Loughnane. Joe and Sharon are rivals, vying for the same pool of votes to get elected to City Hall.

Strange then that Sharon Nolan was one of the people who contributed financially to Joe Loughnane’s gofundme page, an online facility to raise money for his bid to win a seat on Galway City Council.

Now she wasn’t flush with the cash, and Sharon’s €10 donation is hardly going to elect Joe. But, given that he said €10, “would print a stack of leaflets targeting the houses in Bohermore”, why would a rival candidate give him that competitive edge?

Is it that the Soc Dems are nice, or naïve? Or maybe they’re devious – and Sharon is courting Loughnane’s transfers, if he’s eliminated first?

For more Bradley Bytes, see this week’s Galway City Tribune