Louise Heavin leaves Greens to run as Independent candidate

Athlone's first-ever Green Cllr, Louise Heavin – who lost her council seat in June's local elections – has announced her intention to stand as an Independent candidate in the next general election.

The former Athlone Mayor made her shock decision to leave the Green Party following a “period of reflection over the summer” and had conveyed her decision to party leader, Roderic O'Gorman, and the local Green Party organisation “over the past week.”

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent, the local architect said she felt that, during her period as a Green Party Cllr representing Athlone, many “inaccurate assumptions” had been made about what she stood for. “I did a good bit of thinking over the summer and I decided to set my own narrative” she said.

Louise Heavin said she felt her continued membership of the Green Party would not be “useful” to her as it would “put a label on me and barriers in front of me” that would not serve her well in the long-term.

She conveyed her decision to Green Party leader, Roderic O'Gorman, and the local party organisation in the past week, and stressed that there was “no ill-will” as a result of her decision, either at local or national level. “While the party leader was very disappointed at my decision, he undertstood where I was coming from, and the local organisation was also very supportive” she said.

As a practicising architect, Louise Heavin, says housing will be her “main focus” as an Independent candidate, and says she intends to put her “skills and expertise” to good use to ensure the delivery of “solutions” that build homes for current and future generations. “Housing was always my main focus as a member of the Green party, but I feel this was completely lost with all the other assumptions that were being made around the green message” she said.

While conceding that she faces an uphill battle to secure a seat as an Independent in Longford/Westmeath, the Athlone-born former Cllr says she cannot let the recent local elections, where she secured just 364 first-preference votes, affect her bid for a Dail seat. “It was an extraordinary election in many ways, and I cannot let the result define me” she says.

Louise Heavin feels there is space for “a leftist-leaning candidate, which I am, who is passionate about social justice, climate action and the building of public housing on public land” but adds that she needs to get her message “out there.”

At the moment she is busy assembling a campaign team, and says she has received strong support from “family, friends and neighbours.” She admits that she needs “all skills” on her team and is appealing to anyone who wishes to come on board to get in touch.

“I want to take positive action and be a progressive and constructive voice for our communities to ensure that everyone has a warm comfortable place to live in their local area, and if the private sector is not delivering in areas with a housing need then the next government must” she said.