Gerry hopes to be a strong independent voice for Longford

The coalition formed following the 2020 election was a historic match of two parties that dominated the political landscape since the foundation of the State, along with the Greens. Commentators questioned how long such a union could last, queried if the marriage would make it to term.

Four years passed and the amalgamation, despite a couple of wobbles, lasted until Simon Harris announced an election date on the steps of Government buildings on Friday, November 8.
The unusual step means a short campaign, and candidates brave the dark winter evenings and poor weather on their canvass. Longford independent candidate Gerry Warnock is no stranger to the campaign trail.

The father of two was co-opted onto Longford’s former Town Council in 2011 following the retirement of his father, Christy. Three years later he was elected to the county council and then returned again in 2019.
Last year he eschewed an almost certain third term on the council, but flagged his national ambitions when the general elections came around.

The bite of November frost was in the air as the independent hopeful, well wrapped against the chill breeze, took to the streets of Granard town last Thursday.
The hustings can prove to be a difficult place for politicians, the public have free access to say whatever they want to those looking for a vote. For Gerry there is an advantage to not being a sitting TD, having an independent platform and possessing a disarming charm that allows him to converse easily with potential voters.

In Granard he's accompanied by Alan Doherty, and the two men engage with passers by and drop election leaflets into letterboxes as they progress through the town.
“You're living the dream,” he says as he enters The Little Cake Shop on the town's Barrack Street. Geraldine Mansfield's creations are the temptations every dieter dreads.

Geraldine's initial gripe is about the government's profligate spending: “Are you going to fire the OPW?” she says, highlighting the bike shed and security hut spend and the cost of fitting curtains as an issue exciting public opinion. The cost of the children's hospital is the next bugbear, but the rampant escalations in operating costs is a deeply personal issue.
Pretty to look at and tasty to consume, Geraldine's confections are a sweet treat, but her ingredient costs have shot up in recent times. Keeping business afloat in a small town is a challenge, but as the price of cream, flour and other staples has increased the margins make it more difficult.

Geraldine's situation is a commercial version of the woes faced by most households: “The primary issues I'm hearing on the street are fairly consistent. Number one is that the cost of living is extremely high. That's linked, as we know, to the high energy costs in this country,” Gerry says of his impression voters are giving him on the canvass.

He spoke of how this impinges on a family: “Despite falling inflation, despite the ECB cutting rates three times in recent months, the cost of living seems to be going up and up and up in this jurisdiction. I see it myself as a father. There's four of us in the house, and there's absolutely no doubt about it, there's at least a hundred, if not a hundred and twenty euro a week extra gone on a basket of shopping.

“You can imagine what it's like to operate a business when energy costs are impacting on the entire supply chain, from producer to haulier, to the consumer. That's having a detrimental impact on small retailers, it's something that really needs to be addressed.”
The independent candidate points to the part government policy has in this economic climate: “The fact is that all these green taxes and carbon taxes are now enshrined in legislation.

“It's going to be a tough bit of work for whoever comes into government to square that circle. I'd imagine it would have to be with targeted subsidies and grants to both households and businesses.”
In his time on Longford County Council he frequently spoke about crime in Longford: “The second issue is law and order. Particularly in the likes of Longford town. It's something I found everywhere I went in Longford town. People are looking for basic stuff.

“They're looking for guards on the street, a consistent and sustained Garda presence. Increased visibility, in my view, would go towards dealing with the negative perception Longford town has experienced over the last number of years.
“It would inspire a wee bit of confidence for people to start coming back into town as their main centre of business and socialising,” he said.

Mr Warnock believes that Gardaí in Longford are “not run ragged” but they need State support to ensure they have adequate resources.
Local healthcare occupies a prominent place on the Longford town man's manifesto. He says this is informed not just by his time as a public representative, but also his personal experiences
“In the last couple of weeks I went up to the new outpatients clinic in Mullingar,” he says, “It's a fantastic job, but there should be something like that in every principal town. Somewhere to deal with outpatient appointments, to negate the need for patients to travel to sometimes places like Tullamore, where there is no public transport network.
“Every town of scale should have its own medical campus on site to deal with outpatient appointments and minor injuries units. I think that's fundamental.”

Gerry speaks of a pleasant canvass: “I'm getting a very, very positive reaction. I haven't had one dissenting voice so far. I'm going to bless myself when I say this, and there's still a week or more to go.
“I believe there's an appetite for a bit of change, people feel we're not getting the representation or the strength of representation we probably should be getting.”

The independent candidate referenced the influence of his father in the formation of his political philosophy: “He instilled in me the work ethic that's there. I remember the final pearls of wisdom he gave me before I stepped into the chair in 2011. I asked him, right dad, any more advice? And he said, “always be straight and upfront with people” and I've tried to stay true to that.
“As Popeye says, “I am what I am”, you know. It's that simple. I can answer any query that's thrown in front of me as an independent, as an individual.”