I’ll give Leo kick in the polls
» Businessman considers making bid in Dublin West » 62-yr-old wants to take votes away from Taoiseach
FIREBRAND businessman Peter Casey says he is considering launching an election bid in Dublin West solely to take votes from Leo Varadkar.
The 62-year-old has already declared his name for the ballot in Donegal but was “seriously considering” running in the Taoiseach’s constituency as well. Mr Casey finished second to Michael D Higgins in the 2018 Presidential elections securing 23% of the vote – despite controversial comments he made about the Travelling community. The ensuing public outcry resulted in Mr Varadkar telling people not to vote for him and the Donegal man has held a grudge ever since. He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “I’m seriously considering running in Dublin West, yes. I have a few days to make up my mind before the deadline. “If I decide to run I will have people canvassing in Dublin West. I will give people the opportunity to register a protest vote against
Varadkar. I will be pointing out that the issues with the FAI, RTE, all these things have happened under his watch.”
Mr Casey said he would consider his position over the weekend and money would not be an issue if he chooses to run in two areas.
Vowing to conduct his campaign in his trademark outspoken fashion, he said: “I’ve only got one way of operating which is I say it as it is.
“Funding is not a problem. We don’t do posters, I don’t believe in posters. But I might put up half a dozen billboards on Stephen’s Green
just above Varadkar’s posters with ‘Say no’ on them.”
Mr Casey did not hold back in his criticism of the Taoiseach, adding: “I believe he was disgraceful in the presidential election – the way he told people not to vote for me.
“I feel if I’d had another week I could have won.
“But that is history. I look forward not backward.
“I really think he has been the worst Taoiseach in living memory.
“Under his leadership we have got the worst crisis in housing and healthcare. I don’t think he’s got any moral compass whatsoever. He just goes where the wind blows – he checks the latest opinion poll and adopts the popular stance.
“He was Health Minister during the National Children’s Hospital debacle. He handed the whole thing over to Simon Harris.”
Mr Casey, who had an operation on his spine last month, is running as an Independent in the five-seat Donegal constituency against Fine Gael’s Joe Mchugh and Sinn
Fein’s Pearse Doherty. He came up short in the European elections last year finishing fifth in the four-seat Midlands-north West constituency. Targeting the farmers’ vote in the upcoming election he said: “A carbon tax is something we cannot afford. It taxes the poor and not the rich. Obviously there is an environmental crisis. “But reducing the suckling herd by a half would be bonkers. “The only difference is cows would be farting too much in Brazil or Argentina instead of here in Ireland.”