Local elections in Waterford 2009

[pjoz]

What success?

[Morte]

Depends on what you mean by impact. Do you mean getting media coverage like Joe Higgins or actually getting stuff done? By getting stuff done do you mean in the Healy Rae sense or in the good for the country sense?

I'd be very much a right winger myself but I do like Halligan. He has opposite views to myself but he showed by leaving the WP to vote for the budget that he is prepared to compromise and work with others to achieve his goals. As he said, you can't expect money to be spent if you're opposed to any attempts to raise it.

Halligan is excellent as a councillor but I think he's probably at the level best suited to him. He's best working at the coalface with community issues. I haven't seen anything to suggest he'd be as good at formulating policy at a national level. As a socialist he's probably not the best person to be dealing with business people and potential investors either. As these are the people who will provide jobs it's critical that they feel they're dealing with someone who's supportive and understands their concerns. I can see Halligan making a good backbencher maybe but I certainly wouldn't want him in a major ministry.

I'd only give him a middling chance of being elected at present for now. There's probably a decent sized left vote in the city but how many votes will he get outside it? The mayorship will have helped but it's hardly going to be enough. I think he'll get a respectable vote but not enough to get a seat.

To throw a curveball out, what would people say to the prospect of him joining Labour? I've no idea if John would be open to that but purely from an electoral sense it'd work well for both sides. Halligan would get more mainstream support and I don't think he'd alienate too much of his current base as he'd still be left wing. This would push him from being an outside bet to being right up in the mix for a seat. Labour would get the chance to take a second seat alongside O'Shea, something they may have the support for but don't at present have a candidate to capitalise on. Long term it would also suit as when O'Shea goes they'd be left with somebody who could hold the seat steadily even if the mood swings away from Labour.