Labour backs Connolly for President

Labour has backed left-wing independent Catherine Connolly for President.

Labour’s endorsement, which was announced on Thursday, saw the party back the Galwegian TD, who left the party in the mid-2000s, for the Áras.

Connolly left the party in the mid-2000s following a row with the party, when Connolly, then a Labour councillor, wanted to be selected as a running mate alongside then-Labour TD Michael D Higgins in the 2007 general election.

Labour refused Connolly’s request, and she subsequently became an independent, winning a Dáil seat in 2016 and won re-election in 2020 and 2024.

Connolly now has the support of the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and Labour, which raises the question – what decision will Sinn Féin make?

Sinn Féin are reportedly split on their presidental ambitions; one camp in the party believes that Connolly is not “sufficently republican” and have reached out to Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald about the bid, while another faction of the party believes the party should be displaying left-wing unity as it presents the best chance of defeating Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness and Fianna Fáil’s mystery candidate.

Labour’s backing was announced on Thursday evening, with members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) and the Party’s Executive Board (EB) agreeing to support Connolly.

After reaching out to party members, the meeting heard that a “clear majority” of party members were in favour of Connolly’s bid.

Dublin TD Ciarán Ahern has been named as Labour’s co-ordinator for the campaign.

The Dublin South-West TD said, “while there are issues where we have differed with Deputy Connolly, we are determined that the social democratic values of equality, justice and tolerance should shape the Presidency over the next seven years and follow the legacy of President Higgins. ”

“We believe that Catherine Connolly shares those values, and has put them into practice during her political career.

“Catherine will make an excellent President, campaigning and advocating for the common good.”

Labour’s involvement in the campaign may be a good omen for Connolly – Labour-backed candidates have won 3 of the last 4 presidential elections, with the party throwing their weight behind Mary Robinson in 1990, and Higgins, then a Labour TD, winning in 2011 and 2018.