Gilmore predicts netting at least 50 seats

RALLYING party workers last night at party election headquarters, Eamon Gilmore was greeted with claps and cheers by supporters as he declared that the country was hungry for political change.

Despite a slump in election polls in recent weeks, the Labour Party leader vowed that Labour would still seize 50 seats or more on polling day on February 25.

Mr Gilmore also said last night that if elected to power, the party would make changes to the Universal Social Charge (USC), the new tax which has caused uproar among workers.

Mr Gilmore said that for the first time in Irish history voters were being offered a real change of leadership in government.

“There has never been in my lifetime an election more important than this one, there is so much riding on it. This election is not just about a government for the next four or five years. This election is about a direction that this country will take probably for the next quarter of a century.”

Surrounded by posters with “Gilmore for Taoiseach” at the party election nerve centre, campaigners in red tops, and even a symbolic bunch or red roses at reception, the leader again reiterated the party’s goals over the next three-and-half weeks.

He emphasised to campaigners that they had 25 days to persuade voters on the doorsteps about party plans to create jobs, boost trade, education and reform the political and public service systems.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Gilmore still insisted his party was capable of bringing in at least one seat in each of the 43 constituencies as well as two in some areas for the 31st Dáil.

Speaking on RTÉ news last night, he also said that if in power, Labour would not only reverse budget cuts to the minimum wage but also make adjustments to the USC.

“There are a lot of serious anomalies in it and we will be setting out the changes that we will be making in that.”

Mr Gilmore will begin the party’s nationwide campaign trail this morning at Dublin’s Guinness Gravity Bar, where candidates and frontbench members will gather.

The party leader and his entourage will then travel to Carlow and Kilkenny to campaign with local candidates councillors Des Hurley and Ann Phelan, who are contending the five-seater.

Mr Gilmore will finish electioneering for the day at his home constituency in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, where he is hoping to bring in Senator and barrister Ivana Bacik at the polls.

But unlike other elections, the Labour Party and its leader over the coming days and weeks will not be travelling en masse in an election “battle bus” around the country but rather in people carrier vans, which party organisers claim will save funds and reduce damage to the environment, but no doubt will give candidates and Mr Gilmore some space from prying media eyes.