Carlow Kilkenny branch of Labour has nominated Ivana Bacik for party leader

The Carlow Kilkenny branch of Labour is calling for Ivana Bacik to be their next party leader.

The local constituency group last night unanimously decided to nominate the Dublin Bay South TD to seek to fill the role left vacant when Alan Kelly resigned.

Members made the decision after speaking with Ms Bacik when she visited Kilkenny City last Friday and again via Zoom last night.

Constituency Chairperson, Seán Ó hArgáin has told KCLR News that the decision reflected the member’s respect for Ms. Bacik’s thirty-year reputation as a courageous and committed campaigner and activist; “We made clear in recent weeks that we were unhappy with the way in which Alan Kelly’s leadership came to an end but we also recognise that we must move on quickly and in a united fashion. We reiterated our thanks to Alan and his family for their commitment and hard work over the past two, very difficult years. We also agree with Alan that it is vital that we now unite as a party to fight the battles ahead”.

He adds “We have been impressed by Ivana’s willingness to listen to our concerns as members but also by her consistent leadership on sometimes difficult issues since her emergence as a young student leader and in particular in her mould-breaking work as an elected member of Seanad Éireann since 1997. It is also clear that she has the support of her Dáil and Seanad colleagues and is best placed to lead us at this time”.

Mr Ó hArgáin also notes “She is committed to leading us as a party campaigning on traditional Labour issues, including the provision of housing and homes for all our citizens, a public health and education service we can be proud of and a fundamental commitment to equality in every area of Irish life. Ivana also has a long-standing commitment to the internationalist values of Labour, as she has shown for decades and in recent times in her leadership of the protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine”.

And he says “We believe that Ivana can lead us forward as a united party and can help us in Carlow/Kilkenny to regain our place as one of the heartland constituencies of our party. We wish her luck in her campaign in the coming weeks.”