Connolly dispute ‘elephant in the room’ at Labour think-in

Labour TD Alan Kelly has reiterated that he will not support Catherine Connolly for president despite his party voting to back her campaign.

Mr Kelly made the comments alongside Labour leader Ivana Bacik at the party’s annual think-in on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, Ms Bacik expressed support for Ms Connolly and said the presidential contest would be the next opportunity to articulate party values before local and European elections, likely in 2029.

Acknowledging the fact that some Labour members have said they would not back Ms Connolly, Ms Bacik said: “It wasn’t a unanimous decision by any means.

“Not everyone in the party – not everyone even here – agreed with it but all of us respect our internal democracy and our decision-making.”

Addressing that “elephant in the room”, Mr Kelly told reporters at the same press conference that his position had not changed and he would not be supporting Ms Connolly.

Mr Kelly, whose constituency office is in Nenagh, said: “I respect everybody’s opinion. I respect the democratic process. I respect everybody else here around me, in relation to that, in whatever position they take, whichever way they go on it, that is not a concern for me.”

Ms Bacik said she had multiple “private” and “frank” conversations with Mr Kelly after he first publicised his position on the matter during an interview with Tipp FM.

Asked if she had discussed the possibility of pulling the think-in from Nenagh following Mr Kelly’s comments, Ms Bacik said she would not disclose details of their private conversations.

The Labour leader, who said she was proud of her own links to the town, added: “All I’m going to say is I really welcome Alan’s communication and expression of regret on aspects of the interview and we move on.”

Pressed on whether Mr Kelly was told to express regret or the think-in would not happen in Nenagh, Ms Bacik said: “In all my political career, I’ve never discussed details of private conversations I’ve had with other colleagues in the parliamentary party – and I’m not going to start now.”

Speaking about the upcoming election, she said Labour’s priorities were housing, healthcare, childcare, the cost of living and climate catastrophe.

“We will continue to put forward constructive State-led policies and solutions, and continue to work with like-minded parties on the left to ensure that we can push for solutions.

“Because for the Labour Party, our ambition in the next general election is to achieve a left-led Government that will provide for the communities that we represent, that will provide for this generation and future generations.”

Ms Bacik said Ms Connolly, who has been critical of Labour since leaving the party, has a “formidable track record on standing up and being a voice for the disadvantaged”.

“She’s a left wing candidate who stands for the same things we stand for.”

She added: “Of course, there are issues on which we don’t agree and positions which we didn’t agree with, but we absolutely endorse her candidacy as a candidate of the left, as the person who is uniting the left.”