Labour defends running one Galway candidate

The Labour Party has defended its decision to run one candidate - party president Michael D Higgins - in the Galway West constituency during the next general election.

Party general secretary Mike Allen said the procedures were "probably the most democratic of any political party in the country", in a statement issued before last night's selection convention in Galway city which confirmed Mr Higgins's nomination.

Mr Allen was responding to criticism of the decision by Cllr Catherine Connolly, a former city mayor, who also wanted to run. She has now decided to stand as an Independent candidate in the general election.

Mr Allen said that those seeking selection at a convention required the nomination of only a single branch, and every party member in a constituency could vote in the selection of a candidate. "Cllr Connolly was nominated for the selection convention by the Oranmore branch of the Labour Party, but she decided not to accept that nomination and exercise her right to go before the convention," Mr Allen said.

"Under the party constitution, the decision on how many candidates should be run in any constituency is taken by the organisation sub-committee." The committee felt that running two candidates in Galway West could jeopardise the party seat as a substantial part of the potential vote is concentrated in the city area, where both Mr Higgins and Cllr Connolly are based.