FF Grassroots ignored again as HQ Impose Single Candidate Strategy

Het-Field

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0131/1224288605322.html

FF Continue to shoot themselves in the foot. This business of imposing the will of HQ on regional and local organisations was derided prior to the Local and European Election. However, it would appear that FF are doing it again, and are doing so in an unashamed manner.

Eamon O Cuiv felt it would be "devisive to vote on the issue" (i.e. to consider if the local FF organisation would be prepared to select another candidate, or extend the ticket in Tipp South). It is clear that he is not aware that what has been done could in Tipp could be even mre divisive, and will give rise to other stories of the same ilk in the coming weeks.

mikemac

Mr Ó Cuív warned against splitting the party vote by running two candidates in three-seat constituencies.

He's right though. Since you mentioned Tipperary, this is what they've done in Tipperary North.

Anyway, we'll see a lot of councillors passed over who will probably quit the party and run as independents.

Happened in the last election too.
Probably been happening since elections began! Selection committees are ruthless

gandalf

At this stage it appears to me that FF are fragmenting totally as a party and the lack of cohesion is turning them into 43 different organisations based in each constituency. I said in previous threads that FF as an organisation would not disappear because of their grass roots but if this is occurring as it appears and Mount Street is ignoring or overriding the local organisations I think I might revise this and say this election could spell the end for FF.

It certainly does question if Michael Martin is the right type of leader to keep them together.

It is also damning that a lot of the so called senior members of the party are abandoning them just because the going is getting tough.

Sierra Oscar

The article fails to look at the national situation as a whole - in a number of constituencies the grass-roots themselves decided on implementing a single candidate strategy, such was the case here in Tipperary North. HQ originally wanted to field two candidates in Tipperary North due to vote management reasons (running candidates in different parts of the constituency helps mop up votes / prevent them moving to other parties) . . . however the grass-root members did not agree to the strategy when it came to a vote.

Furthermore it was expected HQ would place Smith on the ticket alongside Hoctor after Hoctor secured a shock victory at the Tipp North convention a few weeks ago - endorsed by the grassroots. However HQ have not intervened.

FF has a lot of work to do with getting back in touch with the grassroots, no doubt about that. Time spent in government results in a growing divide between party HQ and the grassroots.

However let us not forget that FG HQ have the power to add and subtract anyone from their tickets as they see fit, and in the process are beginning to ignore their own grassroot members. FG HQ have forcefully placed candidates on the tickets in Galway West, Galway East, Clare, Cork North Central in recent weeks alone.

feelingstressed wrote: »

Probably been happening since elections began! Selection committees are ruthless

Selection committees have been abandoned . . .