Meet the Kildare activists who helped push Conservatives out of power in the UK

Peter Benson and UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner

placeholder image — Peter Benson and UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner

Two County Kildare political activists based in England have welcomed Labour’s massive Labour in the UK General Election.

Sinead Walsh, originally from Kill, ran for the Liberal Democrats and won a seat on Haywards Heath Town Council, in the south of England, near Gatwick. She topped the poll in the local elections just over two years ago.

Ms Walsh was one of two Lib Dem candidates when she took 1003 votes topping the poll in the Lucastes and Bolnore Ward.

“It was the first time I have stood for election and to be honest I was surprised I got elected but also thrilled as it confirms that the national trend is away from the Tories. This area has historically been a Tory stronghold,” Ms Walsh, who lived in The Gables, at the time.

Ms Walsh and fellow pro EU activist Peter Benson originally from Dublin Road, Naas and now living in south London participated in many protests against Brexit and the Tory party outside parliament in London.

In the run-up to polling day last Friday Ms Walsh canvassed for Alison Bennett of the Liberal Democrats who took the seat in Mid-Sussex with 21,136 votes , ahead of Tory candidate Kristy Adams with 14,474 votes. The Conservatives held the seat in the run-up to the poll.

Ms Walsh said: “Now that the Lib Dems have a significant voice in parliament, we may finally be able to move away from the realms of fantasy and nonsense and recognize that the only sustainable way to grow the economy is by rejoining the Single Market. I also hope that Labour acts early on its commitment to repeal the Troubles’ Legacy Act.”

She said the Conservatives deserved to be wiped out for “the generational damage they have done.”

“Peter and I have spent years campaigning and protesting and it will be a relief simply not to have to worry what fresh disaster each day will bring, but, for real change, we need to be brutally honest about how we got here and what we have to do to fix it.”

"It is time to start healing from the last decade and a half, where the rich and powerful were the sole focus", said Mr Benson, adding he is hopeful that over time the massive inequality in the UK will be tackled.

“We had a political system where money and the powerful bought influence and that will end now . When the prime minister wears a £750 pound rucksack when travelling, we all know where his sympathies lay and it was not with the workers of the country,” he said.

The right-wing bias in British Politics has been bad for Ireland north and south and the whole of Europe. It’s time Britain appreciates its closest neighbours and friends, and this will happen under Labour now and hopefully very soon.”

They believe a Labour government is positive for Ireland and “a welcome counterbalance to the worrying shifts to the far-right in parts of Europe.”