Longford Leader editorial: Voters of Longford, you have the power!
Longford was the ONLY county in the country without a sitting TD in the 32nd Dáil and the ONLY people that can rectify the ‘forgotten Longford’ tag are the voters of Longford this Saturday, February 8.
The reality is that 32% of Longford voters, equating to 6,713 first preferences, voted for Westmeath candidates in the 2016 general election. Clearly, Longford voters weren’t impressed by what they saw on the ballot paper four years ago.
And with six Longford-based candidates on this occasion, Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael), Cllr Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fáil), Anna Kavanagh (Independent), Frank Kilbride (Independent), James Reynolds (The National Party) and Barbara Smyth (People Before Profit) it will be very interesting to see if things change.
In 2016, three Longford candidates found themselves lying in 6th James Bannon (FG, 4,639), 7th Connie Gerety Quinn (FF, 3,943) and 8th James Morgan (IA, 3,329) in the poll after the first count. That’s a cumulative first preference vote of 11,911 or 861 votes above the quota which stood at 11,050. Add 11,911 and 6,713, and it clearly demonstrates that there is a Longford seat up for grabs.
Now more than ever, Longford needs strong representation in Dáil Éireann. The issues affecting Longford are by no means unique to the county - these are the issues in every rural county in the country. But there comes a time when Longford people must focus on their own county and try to imagine the type of place they would like to live in, in ten years’ time.
There is no magic wand for Longford. It is the most disadvantaged county in the region and it needs all the help it can get.
One of the best places to start is in Dáil Éireann. Saturday’s election is about securing a future for Longford and creating a platform for the county to live up to its real potential.
In order for this to happen, voters will have to don the Longford jersey and vote for their county. Unless Longford people put their county first, how can they expect anyone else to prioritise it?
Voters of Longford, you have the power!