Rotimi Adebari was the first Black person elected to a local Council in Ireland in 2004. Later, he became the first Black Mayor of an Irish town. It is little known that Rotimi holds another achievement. He is the only person with migration roots who won a seat as an independent candidate. In the last twenty years since Rotimi’s historic achievement, all successful election candidates of a migrant background have been party nominees. Despite these statistics, people of migrant heritage have been over-represented amongst independent candidates in each election since 2004.
Ireland traditionally has shown a strong support for independent election candidates. Currently 1 in 10 members of an Irish parliament are non-affiliated politicians.
However, migration has its own rules, and so the election candidacy of people with migration roots.
Does that mean party membership is a requirement for people of migrant heritage to win elections? Of course not. However, it helps.
Why? International research has shown that candidates of a migrant background experience additional barriers during their campaigns. As a result, they have 62% fewer chances to be elected in Ireland. Party membership alleviates some of that 62% gap by providing access to essential resources such as skills, social networks, and budget.
In this conversation with Joe O’Brien, the former Minister of State with Special Responsibilities for Integration, I discuss what the perks and pitfalls of party membership are, how policy making through party membership looks like, and why migrant candidates may struggle as independent candidates.
I am not telling you that you should join a political party. However, I am telling you to consider all angles and facts before you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a political party membership.
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