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Fine Gael leader Simon Harris has called on farmers not to vote for independent candidates when casting their vote at the upcoming general election.
Speaking to media after addressing the Irish Farmers' Association's (IFA) national council on Tuesday, Deputy Harris said that his own party had lost seats after votes went the way of independents.
“I would respectfully say to farmers that the best way to ensure that the strength of the voice of Fine Gael in the next government is not to vote for independents,” he said.
“Because actually that is the situation that resulted in my party and perhaps other parties losing seats in the last election and needing a three-way coalition.”
Farmers head to polls
A recent survey of over 1,000 farmers conducted by the Irish Farmers Journal found that Fine Gael is in pole position to garner farmer votes on 29 November, as 37% of respondents indicated that the party will receive their first preference vote.
Some 23% indicated that Fianna Fáil is looking like their first preference, while independents and the Independent Ireland party came in at a respective 20% and 10% of respondents.
Two in every five farmers surveyed said that a Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil coalition would be their preferred makeup for the next government, while another 27% indicated that theirs would be a government comprised of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and independents.
The Irish Farmers Journal will broadcast a live general election debate on www.farmersjournal.ie this Thursday.
The candidates participating will be Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue, Fine Gael’s Martin Heydon, Sinn Féin’s Martin Kenny, Independent Ireland’s Eddie Punch and the Green Party’s Pippa Hackett.
You can submit question to be put to these candidates during the live debate here.
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