Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has called on all of the independent candidates in Wicklow contesting the local elections in June to clarify their political intent now at the outset of the election to allow the electorate to make a fully informed decision come polling day.
Wicklow has endured decades of mismanagement as a result of the two main government parties of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael operating private grubby deals vested in their own self-interest, which allowed them to exercise power at the expense of the mandate of other members of the council.
As the demand for change across the county grows in the final few weeks before the election, those candidates campaigning under an independent banner need to give a pledge to the electorate that they are truly committed to democratic progress, and a County Council organised according to the principles of power sharing.
In 2014 and 2019 against a backdrop of a rejection of Fianna Fail following their role in causing the economic crash Independent Cllr’s in Wicklow played their role in ensuring that both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were able to continue to grip onto the levers of power here in Wicklow against the wishes of the people.
Brady said:
“One thing that we do not want to see repeated here in Wicklow is a recurrence of events where Independent local election candidates campaigning under a banner of change, as soon as they get
into the Council here in Wicklow, turn around and give their support to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
We saw it happen in 2014, and we saw again in 2019, how Independent candidates presenting themselves to the electorate as the people to bring about change, turn around once elected and shore up the status quo here in Wicklow.
And when I talk about the status quo, I am talking about the scurrilous behaviour of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael over decades. Where they worked cosy side deals to allow them to rotate power between themselves, ensuring that any truly progressive forces were kept on the outside.
This has contributed to muting the voice for change here in Wicklow. It has ensured that the lack of central funding for Wicklow County Council by the government centrally went unanswered as the majority block of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and their Independent backers suppressed protest in the Council.
The result of this – hundreds of boarded up homes across the county, when families are being left homeless, with rents and mortgages skyrocketing as the parties of landlords and speculators continued to reap their profits.
It has witnessed a rundown of services across the county, a lack of investment in our communities.
It has kept Wicklow ‘in the bag’ for powers that be. Allowing Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to continue to operate their cosy cartel while using their authority on the Council, brought about with the backing of independent candidates to silence those who held the true interests of the people of Wicklow at heart.
Brady continued:
“I believe that it is important that the electorate knows who and what they are voting for. Further to which I am calling on all independent candidates in Wicklow who purport to be campaigning under a banner of change to pledge to give full expression to the will for change desired by the people of Wicklow.
They need to pledge now while the electorate has the opportunity to fully weigh up what they actually stand for that they are prepared to commit to a council of progressive change.
That once the election is over that they will refuse to be pulled into grubby side deals, and will not be party to the shoring up of the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael axis of power here in Wicklow that has done this county of ours such a disservice over the decades.
The country needs change, the county needs change, and God knows the Council needs change.
The Wicklow electorate want to return a council which will give expression to the will for change wanted by the people of the county.
Any candidate who intends to enter into office in June to give support for the traditional system which was developed by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to rotate power and privilege between themselves on the council needs to let the people know that that is what they are about.
Or alternatively openly pledge that they will not give their support to the outmoded undemocratic power structures of the past, and openly commit to a progressive future governed by the desire for positive change.
There is an opportunity in this year’s local elections to reboot our system and return a council committed to giving expression to the democratic will of the people.”