DUBLIN MEP Gay Mitchell will not necessarily be the outsider if he enters the contest to become Fine Gael’s candidate for the presidential election, several senior party colleagues have said.
This weekend Mr Mitchell confirmed to The Irish Timesthat he will reconsider a decision he took six months ago not to put his name forward.
Mr Mitchell made his announcement as senior party officials said former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox was on the cusp of joining the party, thus confirming his interest in becoming the Fine Gael candidate.
Several TDs, including two from the party’s ministerial ranks, have said privately they welcome the announcement by Mr Mitchell that he is considering vying against Mr Cox and against MEP colleague Mairead McGuinness for the nomination.
Most pointed to what they said were reservations about party pedigree of the other two candidates.
Ms McGuinness joined the party ahead of the European elections in 2004, while Mr Cox, a former TD for the Progressive Democrats and independent MEP, will become an official member of the party later this month.
One TD said Mr Mitchell “is a person with a high profile who defines Fine Gael in my estimation much stronger than [Mr] Cox or [Ms] McGuinness.”
Separately, US publisher Niall O’Dowd confirmed on his website yesterday that he is seriously considering running for the position.
“I was totally taken aback during the recent visit to Ireland for the Obama visit to have a group of influential Irish figures approach me on this very issue,” he wrote.
