Duncan Stewart pulls out of European election

Environmentalist Duncan Stewart has had a last-minute change of heart and decided not to run in this year’s European elections.

The television presenter and architect said it was with a “very heavy heart” that he took the advice of friends and family, who warned him of the potentially damaging aspects of a political tussle.

He said he had spent weeks looking at options and, until yesterday, was 90% sure that he would run in either the South or Dublin constituencies.

Mr Stewart said he felt the time was right to run and that, if elected, he could achieve more on climate change in Europe than he could in Irish politics.

However, he said friends urged him to reconsider because they felt he would be targeted during the election and he stood to lose too much.

“I am not a politician and I don’t like the political world,” said Mr Stewart. “But I felt I had an opportunity to do something about climate change at a European level.

“[People who advised him] were people I trust and I was still going to go against them, but I was persuaded that I just did not need all the potential trouble.”

Mr Stewart initially sparked speculation when he attended a workshop run by Independent TDs in March and he said he spent the last month assessing his options. He said his plan had been to run as an independent rather than with the Green Party.

However, he accepted the economic crisis had affected people badly and their immediate concerns for jobs and household budgets meant environmental issues had slipped down the agenda.

Mr Stewart said he had not been impressed by the attitude of the country’s MEPs on the policies and a lot more could be done to ensure the EU showed an example to China and developing countries in the area of greenhouse emissions. However, he feared the personal nature of an election campaign would tarnish his own reputation and he did not feel the electorate would send him to Brussels.

“I will regret not doing it,” said Mr Stewart. “I felt I had an opportunity and a certain responsibility to do it. But there is so much at stake that I could lose out on.”

In recent days, Mr Stewart launched a Green Party councillor’s campaign in Dublin and he said if anybody was considering voting for him he would ask them to support the party’s candidate in Waterford, Grace O’Sullivan.