Martin’s mission to turn around ailing FF

Billionaire businessman Bill Gates has said that, in the future, leaders will be those that empower others. The same advice lends itself to Micheál Martin, the leader of a resurgent Fianna Fáil party that is trying to pick its tarnished image off the ground and shape a future.

As the Cork South Central TD moves towards his fourth year as chief of the soldiers of destiny, his biggest test yet lies on the horizon with the local and European elections fast approaching next year.

It will be the former teacher’s opportunity to prove he has turned Fianna Fáil’s destiny around, by bringing in fresh blood into the beleaguered party and, more importantly, securing an increased number of seats in local constituencies.

Amid talk of a leadership heave in recent weeks, senior party figures say there will be no move against Mr Martin prior to the summer 2014 elections. Beyond that? It’s too early to say.

In the meantime, the party leader will lead Fianna Fáil’s fight to retain the Seanad and the party’s scrutiny of the Fine Gael-Labour budgetary plans for next year, watching enviously as Taoiseach Enda Kenny brings the country out of the bailout at the end of the year. But, of course, nothing is certain in politics.

A quick reminder on Fianna Fáil’s performance in the polls is needed.

Support in the 2011 general election plummeted from nearly 42% to an embarrassing 17%, as the party, widely blamed for the bailout, haemorrhaged votes, particularly in Dublin, and was reduced to just 20 seats nationwide. Support was also down from the June 2009 local elections where the party managed to get 25% of votes nationwide.

Mr Martin’s priority will not only to be to make gains on this but to hold local authority seats, where boundary changes have reduced the number of places available for councillors. The days of relying just on the party banner is gone and a frustrated public will accept nothing more than candidates of a high calibre.

“We want more people going forward, and we want more women going forward,” he said.

Mr Martin, though, accuses Environment Minister Phil Hogan of engaging in “gerrymandering”, of fixing the boundary changes and reducing numbers in some local areas, in order to suit the Coalition.

Fianna Fáil would usually poll well in areas in Connacht and Ulster. Will they again? Reduced seat numbers will also make it more difficult in traditional party strongholds of Cavan and Laois, says Mr Martin.

In parts of West Cork, such as Castletownbere, the number of councillor seats has been reduced by four.

“So you’ve 12 sitting councillors competing for eight seats before you introduce any seats at all,” says Mr Martin.

“They’re reducing seats. That makes it harder for us to advance. Dublin is a key battleground and urban centres are a key battleground for us.

“The Government created 10-seaters, nine- and eight-seaters in Dublin to create space for Labour to hold seats. It’s incredible to introduce 10-seaters in urban constituencies; I think it’s to give space to the Government for Fine Gael and Labour, particularly Labour, to hold their seats.”

Mr Martin says there will be an offensive strategy in Dublin and there a defensive strategy in areas where seats have already been cut and where the party did well in 2009.

“We’ve eight or nine seats in some councils, but those councils are down to 18 or 19 members,” he says. “So then you’re actually fighting to retain 50% of the seats, which is a much different challenge than Dublin where we don’t have any seats in some areas.”

The party claimed a small victory recently with the defection of Meath Labour councillor Jenny McHugh. More tangible successes are needed, though, than just hunting out disillusioned members of other parties. Empowering fresh candidates is crucial if Fianna Fáil hopes to recoup some of its lost voters and take advantage of Labour’s troubles at the ballot boxes.

The party has so far appointed 83 area representatives, who will be expected to run, and 28% of those are women. It wants a 33% quota of women to run, despite the fact this new rule will not be applied until the next general election.

“We’ve also had a number of people who’ve indicated they want to run who’ve no political allegiance prior to join us but are interested in getting involved in politics,” says Mr Martin.

The battle for a seat in the European elections in Dublin will be crucial too.

“The big one for us is Dublin,” says Mr Martin. “We lost a seat there the last time so that is an important target for us. The candidate selection is going to be crucial to our chances of winning a seat. There’s a number of people emerging but nothing definitive yet.”

But will the party leader rein in outspoken or controversial representatives who may jeopardise future votes?

Certainly, there was criticism over some pro-life Fianna Fáil senators who made offensive, possibly idiotic, remarks during the abortion debate in the upper house last month.

Why didn’t Micheal Martin censor or sanction them?

It was a free vote, he says, and once this was agreed, there was free speech.

“There continues to be a very wide spectrum of views on this issues; there always has been and there will continue to be,” he says. “We don’t run a police state within the party in the sense that we are monitoring everything.”

There may be a degree of empowerment of party members but it will remain to be seen if Mr Martin can keep Fianna Fáil united as it heads for its first real electoral test following its meltdown and whether his up-and-coming soldiers of destiny are also accepted by an increasingly sceptical public when they go to the polls.