Significant decline in Labour member voter numbers

The number of Labour members eligible to vote in the leadership and deputy leadership elections is substantially down on the last time the party held a contest for a position at the top of the party.

The total electorate is 3,265, comprising party members who paid their membership fees by the deadline last Friday.

Although an estimated 5,000 would have been entitled to vote if they paid their fees, party figures say the electorate is as they would have expected.

A constituency breakdown obtained by The Irish Times also shows several strongholds across the country, but party sources stress members in a constituency will not necessarily follow the lead of the local TD.

The numbers voting this time, with Alex White competing with Joan Burton to be leader, will be down on recent Labour elections.

Although Eamon Gilmore was elected leader unopposed in 2007, there was a contest for the position of deputy leader between Ms Burton and Jan O'Sullivan.

About 4,600 people were eligible to vote, but the turnout was only 59.3 per cent. Ms Burton beat Ms O’Sullivan by 1,470 votes to 1,266 and it is likely the high number of eligible voters was due to the proximity to a general election, which would have led many to pay their fees.

Leadership election

The last leadership election – and the first which allowed every member of the party to vote

– saw 3,472 people cast their ballots out of an eligible 3,945, a turnout of 88 per cent in the contest eventually won by Pat Rabbitte.

One Labour figure said the numbers eligible to vote this time were not surprising, and said a drop-off could be partly attributed to the bruising time experienced by Labour in Coalition.

The constituency breakdown of eligible members shows the highest concentration of votes is in Dublin Bay South, where 240 votes are in play.

The local TDs are Minister for Education and former leader Ruairí Quinn, who has not declared who he is supporting, and Kevin Humphreys, who is backing Ms Burton.

Other strong areas include Longford-Westmeath with 198 voters; Tipperary, the home county of deputy leadership contender Alan Kelly, with 195 voters; Carlow-Kilkenny with 134 members; as well as Kerry and Kildare North with 167 and 130 respectively.

While Ms Burton is still considered the frontrunner, some party sources suggest the high figures in a number of south Dublin constituencies could provide Mr White with a solid platform.

Mr White’s own Dublin South base has 124 members, Mr Gilmore’s Dún Laoghaire constituency has 155 voters and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte’s Dublin South-West constituency has 79.

The party gave members a number of weeks to pay their €15 fees to enable them participate in the leadership election, but they must have been members of at least 18 months’ standing to vote. The deadline to pay passed last Friday, and the total eligible electorate was finalised this week.

Back fees

The payment of back fees has yielded the party an estimated €60,000, although this is likely to have been paid over time anyway.

The latest and penultimate leadership hustings takes place in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork, this evening, with the final debate taking place in south Dublin next week.

Votes will be counted on July 4th, and winners will be announced the same day.