'We want a candidate in each constituency': TD says 'positive politics' behind Social Democrats' rise
James Cox
The Social Democrats' popularity is on the rise after a recent Dublin Central byelection victory and opinion poll success, and a senior TD in the party has said they plan to run a candidate in each constituency at the next general election.
Daniel Ennis secured a seat in a packed field in Dublin Central, bringing the party's number of sitting TDs to 12.
Meanwhile a recent Red C/Business Post poll put the party on 12 per cent, just two points behind Fianna Fáil. Holly Cairns also regularly comes out on top as the most popular party leader.
In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Jennifer Whitmore said: "What we hear from lots of people is they would love to have the chance to vote Social Democrats, but we may not have had a candidate in their area.
"We're going to run a candidate in each of the constituencies because we do want to give people that choice.
"Yes. Holly has been very clear on this: we want a candidate in each constituency.
"We're hoping the next general election will be a good one for us. At each milestone we're hitting we are doing very well, and we would hope that will continue into the next local and general elections."
Whitmore, who was first elected in 2020 before retaining her seat in the 2024 general election, said she is confident the party can take votes from people who have become dissatisfied with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, as well as opposition rivals like Sinn Féin.
'Positive politics'
"I think we will get votes from across the board. What we're offering is something different. I think we're offering positive politics. We really saw that play out in the Dublin Central byelection. Our profile, and how we attract people, might be different from what they're used to; we're looking for positive solutions and to be a positive force in politics.
"We have our principles and we stick with them, and I think that's really important because people know what they get with us. That is a vital part of our identity."
Whitmore pointed to the shift to the right from the Government and Sinn Féin, and said the fact the Social Democrats have "stuck to our principles" appeals to people.
"We have seen a shift to the right in politics, but we have stuck with our principles. I think people value that aspect of who we are."
Whitmore said she does not feel rising anti-migrant sentiment represents the average Irish voter, and that people's real frustration is in a shortage of services.
"We have our own migration history, so I think as a nation we will be coming at it quite differently. I think the frustration we've seen over the last few years is more about the lack of services. There are some bad actors using that for anti-migration purposes, a bouoying up of frustration as this government and the previous government did not deliver the services people need.
"The thing is we are a really wealthy country, we have so much money in the coffers, yet people are not experiencing that on the ground so it does not feel like a wealthy country to people.
"People still can't get basic things like GP services, assessments for their children, disability supports, public transport that actually runs on time.
"I think a lot of the migration debate is being fuelled by that basic lack of delivery by the Government. For us as a party we will continue to focus on service delivery and the Government's inability to deliver, rather than blaming a cohort of people who may be coming in to work in areas we need to shore up like the health service or in childcare. We're not going to point the finger at those people, we will point it at Government because people do not have the services they need."
She added: "We're in the business of politics to make people's lives better and I think you can feel with other parties sometimes their focus is more on who will be the next leader, who's saying what, all these internal political bubble things that take over their discussions.
"Most people don't want to see that or hear about it... they just want to see a government and a Dáil that is working for them and delivering what people need. That is the Social Democrats' focus.
"There is a cost of living crisis... what can we do to push the Government to support people to deal with that crisis?
"Our focus is on these issues, what is needed for communities, families and small businesses."
When Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall stepped down as co-leaders of the party in 2023, there was no leadership contest. Whitmore said this points to how the Social Democrats are different, with the party's TDs working as a unit.
She said this was behind the "seamless" transition when deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan stepped in during Cairns' maternity leave.
Whitmore is the Social Democrats spokesperson on climate, energy and biodiversity.
She described the Government's current position on climate action as "worrying".
"They have gone back on a lot of climate action. I think one of the failures of the last government is climate action was seen as something that was punitive, whereas actually if climate action is done properly it can be a positive thing for people.
"If people are given proper support on climate action you're talking warmer homes, cheaper electricity bills, cleaner air to breathe. These are positive things that result from a proper approach to climate action.
"I think it is worrying the Government are rowing back on this, probably as a result of the previous government not getting that message out. You need to meet people where they're at, and at the moment people are really struggling with energy and food costs.
"You can provide affordable energy in a way to help with climate targets, the focus we need is on how we get cheap, renewable energy to people."
Whitmore feels a left wing government is possible, despite the obvious challenges of such a coalition.
She again reiterated the positivity around her party, adding that she feels this marks them out from their rivals.
"Our preference is for a left wing government and we think that will deliver the best for people... but we have to be open to talking to everybody.
"We want to be as big as possible as a party entering those negotiations.
"There's a real possibility for us. People are open to our ideals and what we're presenting to them and I would hope we can grow as much as possible.
"Politics can feel very draining, and when people are bombarded with negativity they will disengage. People want to hear things can be fixed, can get better, and we are a party willing to fight for those solutions for people."
