This article is from page 7 of the 2011-03-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 7 JPG
BRIAN Meaney is in line to become the next leader of the Green Party, following the party’s disastrous result in last week’s General Election.
The Clare county councillor, who was an unsuccessful candidate in Friday’s election, says that while he has no desire to be party leader it was the “likely outcome” following the collapse of the party.
Cllr Meaney was speaking after being eliminated following the seventh county of last week’s General Election.
“I am delighted to be a town councillor, I’m delighted to be a county councillor the only thing that I don’t want to be is the next leader of the Green Party – which a lot of people [in the Green Party] are saying is the likely outcome,” he said.
“There is going to be significant restructuring of the Greens. We need to rebuild the party right across the country but the future can only be brighter when you are down at the bottom.”
Cllr Meaney says that the Green Party has to regroup, both in Clare and nationally.
“The Greens have not gone away. This has not been a good day for the Greens but we need to dust ourselves off and start again,” he said.
“The Greens in Clare will have to regroup, as we will nationally. There are significant questions that we have to answer on an organisational level that we will have to address if we are to rebuild.
“I knew we were facing a significant challenge to hold onto any seat nationally. I knew I faced a difficult challenge locally here in Clare – the wind was blowing against the party and I don’t make populist decisions. Maybe there is an amount of political naivety there but that is how I do my business,” he said.
“I’m happy that I ran. I’m happy that I faced the people after being part of a very unpopular party in government who had to take some very difficult but necessary decisions.
“I have to make one thing clear, and that is the depth of sincerity that I have for the people who did vote for me and the people who gave me second and third preference, and the people who came out and canvassed with me. It was not an easy thing to do under the current circumstances.”