Pat Rabbitte has said this year’s elections are notable for the “proliferation of independents and fruitcakes”.
Independents have polled strongly across the country - although one in Cork who promised all Gardaí a free annual holiday in Lanzarote and the return of birching received less than 100 votes.
Speaking on The Anton Savage Show: Elections 2024, the former Labour leader said it had been an unusual election.
“There is a proliferation of independents and fruitcakes all over the place,” he said.
“I never saw an election with so many fruitcakes.
“Nobody can argue that the Irish system isn’t democratic, there isn’t a brand of eccentricity known to man that hasn’t been represented on those long ballot papers.”
“I never saw an election with so many fruitcakes." Pat Rabbitte on the strong showing by independents in #Elections2024.@ElectionNT @AntonSavageNT pic.twitter.com/QN0HbIsO8t
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) June 9, 2024
Staff examine ballot papers for the Local and European elections in the RDS Dublin. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ieMr Rabbitte said the presence of so many independents on the ballot meant it was hard to predict where many of the all important transfers would go.
“I think at the fruitcake end of the spectrum I don’t think that you can really put any kind of rational shape on it,” he said.
“It will be conditioned by local factors and local protests.”
Noting that an Aontú candidate had won in his native Mayo, Mr Rabbitte also took aim at the RTÉ’s coverage of Peadar Tóibín’s party.
“I suspect he was helped by the fact that RTÉ seems to be suffering from some kind of bout of remorse about the referendums because I think the only thing Peadar Tóibín isn’t doing is reading the news,” he said.
“I can’t understand it or explain it; I was listening to him this morning.”
Aontú Cllr Paul Lawless declared the first elected Aontú Cllr in Mayo. #AontúBreakthrough pic.twitter.com/upCfdPlrhK
— Peadar Tóibín TD (@Toibin1) June 9, 2024
With Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in a tight race for first place, Mr Rabbitte said the coalition parties have all performed “solidly”.
He was less impressed with the performance of Sinn Féin.
“Sinn Féin is becalmed - although… I think their situation could be worse,” he said.
“It looks like they’re going to bring home a poorer vote than even 2019.
“So, ‘becalmed’ wouldn’t be adequate to describe that.”
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou LcDonald casts her vote at the polling station in the Deaf Village, Dublin. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / © RollingNews.ieHe declared his own colleagues in the Labour Party had also seemingly had a “solid” performance.
“The only thing I actually know is my local Templeogue/Rathfarnham ward, Labour wins two seats and 28.5% of the vote,” he said.
“It seems it will come out in a fairly solid position, given that expectations were [low].”
Main image: Pat Rabbitte. Picture by: Newstalk.
Read more: People 'knew exactly what Sinn Féin was selling and didn't buy it' - Taoiseach
