2020 Labour Party leadership election (Ireland)

The 2020 Labour Party leadership election was a leadership election within Ireland's Labour Party that was triggered when Brendan Howlin announced his intention to relinquish the role of leader. Howlin took the decision to step down as Labour leader on 12 February 2020, and in the aftermath of the party's poor showing at the 2020 general election.[1][2]

2020 Labour Party leadership election
15 February – 3 April 2020 (2020-02-15 – 2020-04-03)
Turnout1,916 (87.0%)
 
Candidate Alan Kelly Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Popular vote 1,047 868
Percentage 54.7% 45.3%
Leader before election

Brendan Howlin

 Elected Leader

Alan Kelly

The election was won by Alan Kelly who received 55% of the votes cast.

Background

Brendan Howlin was elected unopposed as Labour Party leader in a 2016 leadership election. While Labour had a modest gain of six seats in the 2019 local elections, it lost one seat in the 2020 general election, resulting in the party having its lowest ever number of seats in Dáil Éireann with just six TDs elected. Howlin subsequently announced that he would resign as Labour leader stating that it had been "an honour" to lead the party but feels it is time to step down.[3]

Procedure

The Labour Party Executive Board met in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin on 15 February to agree on the rules for the contest. Only party TDs were eligible for the post of leader, and candidates must have been nominated by either two TDs (they couldnominate themselves) or five constituency councils. All members of the party had a vote, provided they had been a paid-up party member since 28 August 2018.[4]

Postal ballot papers were sent to Labour members on 15 March and the closing date for returning votes was on 3 April. A voter had to be a fully paid-up member for 21 days before polling day - meaning the last day they could sign up was 13 March.[5]

Candidates

Confirmed
Candidate Born Political office Nominated by Announced

Alan Kelly		 13 July 1975
(age 45)
Portroe, County Tipperary		 TD for Tipperary (2016–present)
TD for Tipperary North (2011–16)
Deputy leader of the Labour Party (2014–16)
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2014–16)
Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport (2011–14)
MEP for South (2009–11)
Senator (2007–09)		 Duncan Smith
Seán Sherlock		 18 February 2020[6]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin		 22 July 1976
(age 44)
Dublin		 TD for Dublin Bay North (2020–present)
Senator (2016–20)
Minister of State for the National Drugs Strategy (2015–16)
Minister of State for Communities, Culture and Equality (2014–16)
TD for Dublin North-Central (2011–16)		 Ged Nash
Ivana Bacik		 18 February 2020[7]

Declined

The following individuals were discussed in the media as potential leadership candidates, but chose not to stand:

Debates

Several hustings events and public debates were scheduled to take place throughout the leadership campaign, however, as a result of the Covid-19 situation, the Labour Party decided to cancel the remaining hustings in Galway and Dublin.[10]

Date Location
2 March 2020 Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork [11]
5 March 2020 Clayton Hotel, Dublin Airport
9 March 2020 Mullingar Park Hotel, Mullingar
gollark: Try filling all your slots with the nocturnes.
gollark: Oh noooooo, incredibly rare dragons being given to you; how will you cope?!
gollark: iH!
gollark: And why is that bad?
gollark: How are they forcing you to accept CB Golds exactly?

References
  1. "Brendan Howlin to step down as leader of the Labour Party". Thejournal.ie. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  2. "Howlin to step down as Labour leader". RTÉ News. RTÉ. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  3. O'Connell, Hugh (12 February 2020). "'It has been an honour' - Brendan Howlin resigns as Labour leader". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  4. Leahy, Pat (13 February 2020). "Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Ged Nash in talks over Labour leadership". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  5. Ryan, Philip (16 February 2020). "Kelly set to run for Labour leadership". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  6. Kelly, Fiach (18 February 2020). "Labour leader contender Alan Kelly pledges to restore party to 'left'". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  7. O'Connell, Hugh & Sheahan, Fionnán (18 February 2020). "Alan Kelly and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin to go head-to-head for leadership of the Labour Party". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  8. "Sherlock rules himself out of Labour leadership contest after Brendan Howlin calls it quits". The Echo. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  9. O'Connell, Hugh (18 February 2020). "Ged Nash rules himself out of Labour leadership battle". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  10. "Statement by the Labour Party". The Labour Party. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  11. "First Labour leadership debate takes place in Cork". RTÉ News. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
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