FF councillor banishes party logo from election leaflet

Fianna Fáil Cork North East councillor Tim Brosnan has issued leaflets without any reference at all to the fact that he is a Fianna Fáil candidate, it has emerged.

The leaflets, which declare that Cllr Brosnan is “standing on his own record of service to the community” have no Fianna Fáil logo, and no reference to his party.

Today Cllr Brosnan strongly defended the move, saying it had nothing to do with the difficulties his party was facing at the moment.

“I’m the Fianna Fáil man in Cork North East, and I’m proud of it,” he said. “I’m not selling Fianna Fáil, I’m selling myself.

“I’m a member of Fianna Fáil and proud of it, but I stand on my own record of work,” he said.

Cllr Brosnan said he was fighting this election in the same way as he had fought other elections, and pointed out that in previous elections he had issued leaflets and posters which focussed on his own record, rather than his membership of Fianna Fáil.

“In the 2004 election, I got the Evening Echo award for the smallest Fianna Fáil logo,” he said. “My view is that in local elections, you elect people, not parties,” he added.

Cllr Brosnan said that candidates of all parties should be selling their own record, rather than simply relying on their party’s brand to get them elected.

“The party should come second,” he said.

Cllr Brosnan feels that at local level, the party system can be very damaging on councils.

He said that he is a very proud member of Fianna Fáil, and added that the party name will be next to his on the ballot paper on polling day on June 5.

Displaying the relevant party logo next to a candidate’s name is compulsory in Irish elections.

He added that if he ever stood in a Dáil election, he would use the Fianna Fáil logo prominently on his posters as party allegiance is more relevant in a national election. Cllr Brosnan said that no Fianna Fáil official has raised the absence of the party logo on his leaflets with him, but he wouldn’t take any notice if they did.

“I don’t take any orders from Dublin,” he said.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.