LOCAL ELECTIONS:A FORMER prominent Green Party activist in Mayo says he plans to run as an independent candidate in this year's local elections.
Andy Wilson, an energy consultant, was a high-profile spokesman on energy issues for the Greens in the West of Ireland.
Mr Wilson says he is “very disillusioned” with Green Party support for the Government’s economic policies.
He says he quit the party for this reason, and confirmed that he was reprimanded by party headquarters last autumn over a written criticism by Mayo Greens of the level of implementation of the party’s agenda in coalition government.
The document, circulated last August by the Mayo Greens and entitled Successfully Implementing the Green Agenda, was sent by e-mail to the party’s local secretaries and elected representatives.
Green party secretary Colm Ó Caomhánaigh sent a subsequent e-mail on behalf of the party’s management committee requesting local party secretaries not to circulate the Mayo document. He stated that it was an “inappropriate” way to raise issues.
Mr Wilson, who will stand in the Westport electoral area in the June local elections, says he has “absolutely no faith in the ability of the mainstream political parties to get to grips with the economic catastrophe facing Ireland”.
He said he was very disappointed at the Green Party’s tacit acceptance of a strategy involving dependence on foreign investment, rather than support for indigenous industry.
“The Government is deliberately playing down the scale of the emergency whilst simultaneously blundering from one ill thought out measure to the next,” he said.
“We are facing into a 15- or 20- year economic wasteland and unemployment of 30 or 40 per cent. The key components of survival are food production, energy security, primary manufacturing, the development of strategic industries and the maintenance of a high level of essential public services.”
Meanwhile, Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said in Drogheda at the weekend that expense accounts and allowances for all politicians must be radically reformed. Calling for an end to unvouched expenses for TDs and Senators, he said: “The political class has to lead by example.
“We’ve always said that the Oireachtas has to get its act together. I think people wouldn’t look on us kindly and we would not have credibility if we did not lead by example and if we did not make those adjustments.”
In an address to candidates for the local and European elections, Mr Gormley said a new “Green Deal” could create thousands of new jobs through innovation and the use of green technology.
He promised that by the time of the forthcoming elections, candidates would have “the most radical piece of planning legislation” in their hands, which he claimed would overhaul the system and end corrupt zoning.
Mr Gormley defended the role of the party in government, despite some recent defections. The party lost two elected representatives last week when Chris O’Leary, a member of Cork City Council, and Bronwen Maher, a Dublin city councillor, resigned. Former Green MEP Patricia McKenna described the party as being in “freefall”. A third councillor, Neil Clarke from Donegal, who also quit, claimed more resignations would follow because of a growing divide between the leadership and grassroots.
Mr Gormley said comments by the former party members were hurtful because they were untrue.
“We will continue, we will work hard in government, we will work hard to ensure our agenda is implemented, and beyond that we will ensure that we will provide the stability and leadership that is required in government because of the very severe economic downturn.”
Mr Gormley maintained the mood remained buoyant among delegates. “But we are also very realistic,” he added. “We know the challenges that we face.
“In government it can be tough, particularly during an economic downturn as we are now experiencing, but we know the way forward. We know the way forward is the Green Deal and it is something that we will be exploring at our party convention.”