Fine Gael politicians on the canvass trail for the upcoming local elections are encountering anger on many doorsteps and a desire to engage and hold sitting councillors to account on issues that concerned them. At least that’s what Tramore Town and County Councillors Ann Marie Power and Lola O’Sullivan have found.
Cllr O’Sullivan said it was difficult to describe the overall mood of the electorate. “In some estates there is a palpable anxiety regarding jobs and mortgages, while in the more settled areas of Tramore voters are very angry with politicians in general”, she reported.
Cllr Power, who has canvassed roughly one quarter of Tramore town, said it was a slow process because people wanted to engage with her and hold her to account on certain issues. “I’m very happy to do that. I fully empathise with the voters demand for transparency and accountability, which is good for politics”, she said. She added that a large majority of voters were very angry with the current political climate. If that mood were to persist, she predicted “some very interesting changes in the local political dynamic”.
