Labour elects its youngest chair in close poll

Labour elected Siptu official Lorraine Mulligan as its new chairperson over the weekend after a close competition for the position on the party’s executive board.

Ms Mulligan is one of the youngest ever chairpersons of the party and won the position by 318 votes to 296, beating ex-general secretary Ray Kavanagh for the post.

Her appointment comes after a controversial period for the board in which Labour rebel and Galway East TD Colm Keaveney was chairman, despite being exiled for voting against last year’s budget.