FG makes its first moves in preparing for election

THE Fine Gael election campaign kicks into gear tonight when the party’s first election convention takes place in Dublin Bay South.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Fine Gael are not ‘planning for an early election’ but when it comes to public conventions, his party have got in first when compared to their political rivals. One senior FG source wryly observed: ‘Of course we are not planning for an early election... but it’s no harm to be prepared.’

The convention, due to be held in Alexandra Hotel off Merrion Square, currently has four declared candidates, with the favourite being James Geoghegan, who was comprehensively defeated by Ivana Bacik by 4,000 votes in the 2021 by-election, occasioned by the surprise departure from politics of Eoghan Murphy.

In the by-election, the Labour vote quadrupled from the 7.9% secured in 2020 whilst the FG vote share fell by 1.5%. Kate O’Connell, who was narrowly defeated in 2020, was a surprise non-runner for Fine Gael, with Mr Geoghegan being selected instead.

Though Mr Geoghegan is the favourite to win the nomination, unease is high over the leadership favourites capacity to take a seat.

Polling within the constituency has indicated that unlike her party, Ivana Bacik is thriving.

One source said: ‘Ivana on the polling is a certainty, she has cornered a significant Fine Gael women’s vote in a constituency where the other three TDs and our candidate designate is a male.’

Meanwhile Sinn Féin’s Chris Andrews and Jim O’Callaghan are also believed to be secure – which leaves Fine Gael in a battle with Green party leader Eamon Ryan for the last seat.