Mayo senator in war of words over FF rival's 'misplaced' election claims
Mayo Senator Lisa Chambers has said she is emboldened by misplaced claims by running mate Barry Cowen that he is the party’s lead candidate in the European Parliament elections in the midlands north west constituency and looking forward to proving otherwise in the three-week run-in to the election.
Senator Chambers said that Mr. Cowen’s comments will steel her desire to build on the momentum she’s experiencing on the doorstep over recent weeks in response to her focus on addressing the economic and social imbalance back towards the people of the north west, west and midlands - and away from the capital.
Senator Chambers has said that she is getting huge traction on her priority issues, such as a fairer distribution of immigration, the green straitjacketing of rural Ireland and unwinding European red-tape.
The response she is getting, she said, flies in the face of Deputy Cowen’s disappointing comments in the company of Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin on a canvass in Longford, comments which she says are in complete conflict with Mr. Martin’s position and should be clarified by Deputy Cowen.
“I found those comments disappointing and dismissive. We have three candidates running in this constituency and no one candidate is being prioritised in anyway by the party.
"We are under the same flag, campaigning absolutely in parallel and I am really happy with the response I’m getting within that.
“I’ve real momentum now and my particular experience and expertise on European affairs, coupled with my desire to address the Dublin bias on the economic and social landscape of our country, is absolutely resonating.
“So, to see those headlines and have my party colleague and running mate dismiss me, and indeed my running mate Niall Blaney, by saying he is the lead candidate smacks of arrogance and harks to a different time in our party and in Irish politics.
“To have done this also in the company of our party leader Micheál Martin makes it even worse. I know it is not Micheál’s position and it put him in a difficult place in that regard. I will be canvassing with him in the West over the coming weeks and that will be the answer.”
Senator Chambers added: “I’m not sure did Deputy Cowen say this because he was in Longford, a real candidate crossroads, and over extended, but in doing that he dismissed me and I found it quite arrogant, to say the least.
“I can assure everyone that I am very happy with how this campaign is going and I’m really looking forward to the next three weeks of canvassing and continuing to bring my campaign priorities to the people of the west, north west and midlands.”