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HEATHER HUMPHREYS HAS accused her presidential rival, Catherine Connolly, of using “the language of Nigel Farage”.
In a speech on the EU, delivered to her supporters in central Dublin on Friday, she said: “The other candidate in this race spoke the language of Nigel Farage when she accused those of us who wanted to warn of the dangers of Brexit, of ‘Project Fear’, and concluded the British people had not been fooled.
“It showed bad judgment then, and even poorer judgment now.”
Project Fear was a label given by pro-Brexit campaigners to some of the arguments of those who advocated for the UK to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum.
In the speech she also reiterated criticism of Connolly’s attitudes towards Ireland’s allies when discussing the country’s presidency of the Council of the EU, which it is due to hold from July to December next year.
She said 40 European leaders are expected to visit Ireland for the “largest head of government and state meeting ever held here” and said she “certainly won’t be insulting them”.
During previous media appearances Humphreys has claimed Connolly “insulted” some of Ireland’s allies, in particular when Connolly made comments about Germany’s current military build-up with its militarisation in the 1930s.
Connolly previously described the allegations as “scurrilous”, stating that she was highlighting the global military armament in these uncertain times.
Humphreys has also moved to appeal to some conservative voters, who she said don’t feel there is a candidate that represents their views in this election.
Humphreys said yesterday: “I would represent everybody if I am president and I’m asking people to put their trust in me.
“I’m saying to them, I’m a middle ground person. I’m a centre, a centrist.”
“I am pro-European, and I won’t let this country down.”
Fianna Fail’s Darragh O’Brien TD joined Humphreys on the campaign trail yesterday, stating that he is supporting her in a “personal capacity”. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has previously said he will vote for the former minister.
Humphreys will be canvassing in Blanchardstown and Swords today before attending the Leinster V Munster rugby match.
Meanwhile, Connolly is calling on her supporters to come out and canvass nationwide for a “Super Saturday” day of action.
Across the country today, the Connolly campaigners said they will take to the streets in large numbers under the slogans “Your Vote is Your Voice” and “Use Your Vote” – urging people to make their voices count on polling day.
Connolly will be in Limerick and Clare today.
She said that the energy of her campaign is now becoming a movement for change that reaches beyond party lines and old divisions:
“I am deeply proud that my campaign has brought together people from every background – from all parties and from none, from trade unions, community groups, civil society organisations and ordinary citizens who want a fairer, more equal and united Ireland.
“What is emerging is not just a campaign for the Presidency, but a movement that can help shape the direction of Irish politics – one grounded in solidarity, equality, and hope.”
Yesterday, both the Tánaiste and Taoiseach ramped up the pressure on Connolly over her trip to Syria.
Micheál Martin said his meeting with former Syrian president Bashar Assad was “very different” to Connolly’s trip to the country nine years later.
Connolly said she had “no control” over who she met while on her 2018 visit to Syria in which she encountered pro-Assad figures.
The Irish Times reported on Friday that one of the men Connolly met in Syria was a leader of a group charged with killing Palestinians in a refugee camp.
Asked if she was aware of this, Connolly said: “No, I wasn’t.”
Speaking during a debate on RTE’s Morning Ireland, she said: “I went to Syria on a fact-finding mission. The first port of call was the Palestinian refugee camp outside Damascus.”
Martin said: “Clearly no advanced research went into that, it seems to me from what I’ve hard.”
At the same press conference in Farmleigh yesterday, Simon Harris said it was “very unfair” for Connolly to conflate her trip to Martin’s.
Harris added: “It’s also emerged in recent days that she didn’t fund the trip, we the Irish people did, and therefore I think full transparency and breakdown of the costs is important in relation to that.”
With reporting by Christina Finn
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