HEY, VERONA

WEXFORD CANDIDATES:

Fine Gael – Verona Murphy; Fianna Fáil – Cllr Malcolm Byrne; Sinn Féin – Johnny Mythen; Labour – Cllr George Lawlor; Green – Karin Dubsky; People Before Profit – Cinnamon Blackmore; Aontú – Cllr Jim Codd; Irish Freedom Party – Melissa O’Neil.

MAIN ISSUES:

Initially the main issue was the capacity of Rosslare to deal with Brexit. That has been somewhat cast aside by Verona Murphy’s programming recommendations which kind of swept the high moral ground away from FG’s feet on the immigration issue. A case perhaps of you go low, we go lower. Leo and the cabinet are not impressed by the subsequent limbo dance they had to engage in. But what do the electorate think?

CONTROVERSIES:

A somewhat harmless rural parish pump byelection has been transformed by the evolution of Verona Murphy into an Irish Donald Trump. Her ‘she’s local, and she’s vocal’ credentials have come back to bite Fine Gael. But also much to the discomfiture of the other political parties the only issue in Wexford is Verona… for or against.

MOMENTS OF LEVITY:

Closely fought out here between Verona attempting to claim she did not mean that which she had said and the subsequent posse of Fine Gael ministers explaining that the by-nowsilenced Verona did not mean what she had said. All will be forgiven if Verona wins – but Maria Bailey must be wondering what would have happened had she blamed SwingGate on ISIS.

LIKELY OUTCOME:

Not a prediction for the faint–hearted. Malcolm Byrne may be as sweet–talking as Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles. However, on the ground a unlikely alliance between the Wallace forces and Verona Murphy means it could be closer than people think. The somewhat disastrous final weeks of the Murphy campaign may be enough to swing the seat Fianna Fáil’s way … but not by much.