MEP coasts to comfortable success

GAY MITCHELL secured a comfortable victory in a run-off with Mairéad McGuinness in the vote to be Fine Gael’s presidential candidate after recent party recruit Pat Cox was eliminated in the first round.

Mr Mitchell won with 54 per cent of the vote while Ms McGuinness had 46 per cent. She said later her fellow MEP had “walked it”.

Mr Mitchell had the backing of 41 of the 94 members of the parliamentary party who voted at Saturday’s selection convention.

Perhaps the most surprising result was from the national executive, which might have been expected to back Mr Cox, the candidate supported by a number of the Fine Gael hierarchy.

Mr Mitchell had the backing of almost 50 per cent of the executive, receiving 10 of the 22 first-preference votes cast compared to seven for Mr Cox and five for Ms McGuinness.

She said afterwards: “I haven’t seen the figures or anything, but he walked it, so fair play to him.”

According to a complicated voting process, the parliamentary party’s vote – TDs, Senators and MEPs – is worth 70 per cent, while local authorities comprise 20 per cent and the national executive has 10 per cent of the vote.

Officially, the party announces only the winner and not the statistics of the count. The immediate aftermath of the verdict was that Mr Mitchell had “won well”.

However, the actual votes in the first count later emerged.

Of the current 98 members of the parliamentary party, 94 voted. Mr Mitchell secured 41 votes, according to party sources, Ms McGuinness won 30 and Mr Cox, a former president of the European Parliament and new party member, garnered 23.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett and Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Paddy Burke do not vote in party elections.

Minister of State for Tourism Michael Ring was attending his daughter’s wedding. Recently expelled TD Denis Naughten did not attend and Cork East TD Tom Barry was also absent.

While the party has more than 500 councillors, just over 300 voted.

Ms McGuinness secured 140 councillors’ votes, while Mr Mitchell got 107, with 66 for Mr Cox.

Mr Cox was eliminated in the first count and the majority of his transfers went to Ms McGuinness.