Labour to lead new council coalition
PARTY LOOKING AT POTENTIAL PARTNERS
WHATEVER combination of parties end up in the majority on the new council, it is Labour with its nine seats that will be the lead partner in any new coalition. Looking at the numbers, there are essentially two options open to the party.
A coalition with Fianna Fáil would appear to be out of the question. Labour will be reluctant to tie itself in any way to an increasingly unpopular Government.
That leaves two realistic options open to Labour - a coalition with Fine Gael or with the Socialist Party plus an independent or two.
On election count day, Fine Gael members of the council were already expressing the hope that a deal could be done with Labour after five years of the two parties working together.
Cllr Alan Farrell (FG), said: ' We have worked well with Labour over the last five years. There was a different direction imposed by Fine Gael and Labour and I think that has paid off for both parties now that we are both returned with increased seats and I would be hopeful that an arrangement can be made.'
But also returned with increased representation is the Socialist Party and the intriguing possibility of having an all-left coalition might just be too much for Labour to resist. The party was remaining tight-lipped on the possibility at the time of writing but the numbers at least, work out. With Labour's nine seats and the Socialist Party's three councillors, an even 12 is an effective majority on the 24-seat council because the Mayor, who will be drawn from one of the ruling parties, will have a casting vote.
If those numbers are a little too close for comfort then an independent councillor like Cllr David O'Connor, for example, could be asked to prop up this intriguing arrangement.
The council has its AGM later this week when many of these issues will be worked out, including who might be the new Mayor of Fingal. It is almost certain to be a Labour councillor but which one is likely to be decided at a meeting of the party this week.
- John MANNING
