Renua Launch: ‘Party bigger than any one person’

Renua is dominated by former minister Lucinda Creighton, though she says the party is bigger than just one person.

The former Europe minister still commands a higher public profile than some members of the Cabinet and is one of the few politicians in the country to be known by just their first name.

Ms Creighton was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill in 2013.

If she had not rebelled against the party line, it is likely Ms Creighton would have been promoted to Cabinet level by now as her performance as a minister during Ireland’s presidency of the EU drew much praise within Fine Gael.

Despite insisting that she was Fine Gael to her bones, Ms Creighton shut-off any route back to the party by accusing former colleagues of “group think” over the X Case legislation and has been a vocal critic of government policies since crossing the floor of the Dáil.

Despite being socially conservative Ms Creighton has changed her stance on marriage equality from anti- to pro-reform in recent months.

The two other Renua TDs are also rebels from Fine Gael: the party’s deputy leader Billy Timmins, and Terence Flanagan.

Ms Creighton’s husband, Cork Senator Paul Bradford, who at 51 is 16 years her senior, has also joined the party.

Mr Bradford is joined in the Seanad by Mary-Ann O’Brien, who was appointed to the upper house as a Taoiseach’s nominee in 2011.

Ms O’Brien’s husband, Jack and Jill founder Jonathan Irwin, says he will stand for the party at the next election, stating at the launch of Renua: “I’m not a politician, I’m just a grumpy old man”.

Mortgage adviser and media pundit, Karl Deeter, is in charge of the party’s code of conduct as ethics chief, though he is not a party member.

The co-founder of the party is money guru Eddie Hobbs, who says he would not stand if a snap general election was called due to work and family commitments, but would consider running next year if the Dáil goes its full term.

“In due course if it is possible for me to run, I will run,” Mr Hobbs said when pressed.

Renua chiefs say that 3,500 people have signed up to its website, and 180 of them have put themselves forward as candidates at the general election.

The party intends to stand in every constituency with up to 60 candidates, Ms Creighton said.

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