Holly Cairns and Jennifer Whitmore will consider SocDems leadership bid
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Social Democrats TDs Holly Cairns and Jennifer Whitmore say they are considering putting their names forward for the leadership of the party, but fellow TD Gary Gannon has ruled himself out of the leadership race.
On Wednesday, Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall announced they would be stepping down as the party's co-leaders, saying they felt it was the right time to “hand over the leadership reins to the next generation".
Ms Murphy said the party had discussed their decision to resign as leaders in recent weeks and there was no other motive for their decision to step down other than it was the right time.
She told her local radio station Kfm it was “really good timing” to make the move now as the party prepares for the local elections as well as the general election.
“We always said setting up the Social Democrats was about setting up the next generation,” she said.
Ms Murphy said the party needed to focus on the medium- to long-term and the party is not just looking towards the next general election but after it to deliver on what she said the party wants to achieve, “good quality public services”.
“We are not a failed State but the State is failing a lot of people,” she said.
She said the change in leadership would be good for the party and would offer a “renewed focus over what we want to achieve”.
Ms Murphy said merging with the Labour party was not something that was referred to within the Social Democrats and “this is not something we’re considering”.
She said Labour was a party that people “really lost trust in” during the 2011-2016 period.
However, Ms Murphy said she was open to having discussions about a coalition government after the next general election.
“What we continue to say is the number one important thing is how much of our policy platform can we get delivered,” she said.
While Cork South-West TD Holly Cairns has been hotly tipped to become the next leader of the party, Ms Murphy said it would be inappropriate for her or Ms Shortall to give their backing to any one TD right now.
She said a regular meeting of the party’s national executive is happening on Thursday night and the matter would be on the agenda.
She said she expected the process for nominations for a new leader would happen quickly.
Ms Cairns has said she will be consulting with colleagues and family on the leadership bid.
She said: "I will be taking some time this week to consider and discuss all future leadership options with my colleagues, my family and my team."
Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore has said she is still considering her position in relation to putting her name in the mix for the leadership of the party.
Ms Whitmore said that the the stepping down of the co leaders of the party Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy had come "out of the blue."
"It was a big day of emotions. At the moment I am going to take some time to think it (a leadership bid) through. I need to talk to my family and to my team. So I haven't made a decision as of yet. I am going to need some time to process what has happened," Ms Whitmore told .
Ms Whitmore indicated that she wasn't opposed to seeing another co leadership situation within the party as the Social Democrats "works really well together as a team."
"You know the four TDs and the two leaders. We really came together after the election. So I think whatever happens, and who ever goes for it that will continue. We all have very different strengths. And I think all those strengths work very well together.
However, Dublin Central Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has ruled himself out of the leadership race.
In an interview with , Mr Gannon said he planned to show "leadership within the party" but did not intend to put his hat in the ring.
"Thinking about where my skills and attributes are best placed, I am somebody that likes to forge a culture within any team I am part of," he said. "Obviously this is something that happened quickly. I just thought that where my skills would be best placed is building the organisation."
He denied newspaper reports that his intention was to come out today and back Holly Cairns for the job. However, he described Ms Cairns as a "generational politician".
"She appeals to a multitude of different demographics and age groups. I think she is absolutely fabulous. The same could be said for Cian (O'Callaghan) whom I know for a long time and for Jen (Whitmore) so I am going to wait until everyone lays out their stall to make a decision.
We are blessed with talent in the Social Democrats. They are incredible TDs with different strengths and different characteristics. They are not only colleagues but friends.
Both Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall have said they will continue to represent their constituencies and will not be leaving politics.