Laois Independent TD Brian Stanley says that the united left alliance that worked so successfully for Catherine Connolly’s successful presidential election can build on that progress if “big egos can be reduced to smaller egos”.
He says he would like to see the various parties and individuals continue to work together to form the next Government.
Speaking on the recent episode of the LaoisToday LoveLaois Podcast, he said, “That can always be done if big egos can be reduced to smaller egos and if parties are willing to look a bit beyond themselves in the interests of the ordinary people in this country.
“What is interesting is that the left generally, and I would take the soft left, Labour and the Soc Dems and the whole lot in between … has been always around 10% for decades since the foundation of the state.
“But since 2010 or 2011, it has steadily grown to around 40% and you can see that in elections and that potential is there.”
Acknowledging that that vote has been splintered across a variety of groupings, he says the focus needs to be on their common goals, not their differences.
“You don’t have to agree 100% with people that you’re working with. But the trick is that you have to be able to find enough of a percentage to work with and don’t keep harping on about the stuff you disagree with.”
With by-elections this year in Connolly’s Galway West as well as in Dublin Central to fill the vacancy left by Paschal Donohue, Stanley says a transfer pact is the most realistic approach rather than agreement on a candidate.
“That would be the ideal thing if that can happen but in the real world that’s not going to happen,” he said on the suggestion of a united candidate.
“The important thing would be a transfer pact. I hope there’s a strong independent left Republican elected, somebody from maybe somebody who was part of Catherine Connolly’s team. That’s what I would like to see. But let’s wait and see.”
As for his own future, he says “there’s no reason why I wouldn’t” run in the next General Election again which is likely to be in 2029, by which stage he’ll be 71.
With local elections that year – and his wife Caroline a long-serving councillor in Portlaoise – would he like to grow a team, similar to what many of the other Independent TDs have around the country.
Could we see a Team Stanley, or Team Independent Republican, candidates in the 2029 Local Elections.
“There’s a number of people who would be generally in the same team as myself … it’s not something that I would rule out.
“It’s always a possibility. It’s early days yet, local elections are four years away. But what I would say to you is, is that, you know, there’s, it’s important that that left Republican position is, is represented, not in a superficial way, you know, not in a superficial way, you know, that, you know, clever videos and TikTok and all.
“You have to be realistic about it … but you know, there’s always opportunities.”
You can listen to the episode in full below – or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
SEE ALSO – Brian Stanley: ‘There’s no point in having the Border Poll if we’re not going to win it’
