THE FORMER HEAD of Siptu Jack O’Connor has stepped down as a Labour general election candidate in Wicklow.

O’Connor was selected to run in the Wicklow constituency in April. 

However, the Labour Party Constituency Executive decided in a meeting last night that Wicklow town based Councillor Paul O’Brien should replace O’Connor on the ticket after O’Connor made the proposal himself to step down.

Labour sources state that “a new generation is coming through” following a good local election. 

Commenting on the decision, Jack O’Connor told Wicklownews.net that while Labour has made some progress in rebuilding the party in Wicklow, “we know we still have a distance to go”.

“Winning two seats on the Council and coming so close to a third was an important step. Now that we have local councillors elected again, it is important to take the next step by offering the people a local person who they have already endorsed at the ballot box, as a candidate for the General Election,” he said. 

O’Brien said he will be seeking the nomination at a selection convention, stating that the opportunity to run for a Dáil seat “is coming a lot sooner” than he had expected. 

At April’s convention where O’Connor was selected, he criticised the government for promising tax cuts, stating that more money is needed to improve public services.