TD ALAN KELLY is to announce his candidacy as Labour Party leader tomorrow, the Labour Press office has confirmed.

Kelly will make a formal announcement of his candidacy at 12 noon tomorrow. 

This follows Brendan Howlin’s announcement following the general election result that he would step down as party leader following his three-year tenure.

Labour’s first preference votes have dropped from 19.3% in the 2011 general election under Eamon Gilmore’s leadership, to 4.4% in this election – resulting in former Labour leader Joan Burton and former minister Jan O’Sullivan losing their seats.

The party had gathered 10% of first preference votes in the three elections prior to that, and has struggled to gain support as the number of industrial workers in the country continues to decrease dramatically due to technological advances.

Other candidates rumoured to run as Labour leader candidates are Dublin Bay North TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, and Louth TD Ged Nash.

The contest is expected to last about six weeks and the winner will be decided by a majority vote of the party membership.

Sam Boal Sam Boal

Kelly, aged 44 and from Portroe, Co Tipperary, and has been a member of the Labour Party since he was 16.

Kelly was election to the Seanad in 2007, and became the first Labour MEP for Ireland South in over 30 years in 2009.

He then ran as a candidate in the general election for Tipperary North in 2011 and was elected; he was re-elected twice for Tipperary in 2016 and earlier this month.

He previously served as Minister for Housing, Community & Local Government and as Minister for State in the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport with responsibility for Public Transport.

In 2014, he was elected deputy leader of the Labour Party with over 50% of the vote.

In the last Dáil, he was the party’s spokesperson on health and member of the Public Accounts Committee.