'Mullingar Says No' campaigner seeking election as independent

One of the organisers of the 'Mullingar Says No' protests against the government's decision to house IP applicants in Columb Barracks has declared his intention to fun as an independent candidate for Westmeath County Council (Mullingar LEA) in this year’s local elections. Patrick Hussey said he made the decision after much contemplation, and after discussions with advisors and friends.

“I feel I have to stand up and seek election after the views I expressed over the last year or more, and since local politicians have repeatedly failed to recognise the mood and wishes of the local people, especially on the issue of Columb Barracks and the issue of immigration more generally,” he said in a media statement.

“I was the first person in Mullingar to publicly speak out and campaign in opposition to the government’s plans for Columb barracks early last year. All of the local representatives either ignored the issue or spoke out in opposition to what we were doing with our protests. That was, and is, hugely at odds with the feelings of the majority of people, not only in Mullingar, but nationally.”

Mr Hussey referenced polls showing that “up to 75% of the population feel we have had too much immigration”.

“In a survey I carried out in Mullingar last March, 49% of respondents were very opposed to the government’s plans for Columb Barracks; only 15% supported them.

“Westmeath County Council is largely composed of government councillors and, just like the government, they are all out of step with the mood of the public and until recently they had been doubling down on their positions.

“Sinn Féin, who are supposed to be an opposition party, have also been out of step with the mood of the majority regarding immigration. The only real opposition in the Dáil has come from independents and Aontú. Under those circumstances, it would be almost negligent of me not to seek election locally so that I can express the views of many of the people in Mullingar in the council chamber and represent the views more generally of ordinary people on other issues.”

Mr Hussey is a recruitment consultant from Mullingar; and a graduate of DCU and DBS. He has been involved in community work and voluntary work over the last 25 years, and has had a lifelong interest in politics. He has been involved with Fine Gael, The People’s Movement and the Irish Freedom Party on various campaigns over the years.

“I was one of the organisers of the protests concerning Columb Barracks in 2023 as part of The Concerned Residents of Mullingar / Mullingar Says No. I want to be an independent voice for the people of Mullingar. I believe in a community-led, common sense approach to politics (rather than party or big business), I want ordinary, local, grassroots voices to be heard and listened to.

“I will work closely with local people in an organised manner, where all voices are heard.”