Van der Spek to stand for Labour in local election

Mr van der Spek last stood for the Labour party in the 2020 General Election.

Liam van der Speak will be the only candidate a local Labour party election convention which takes place later this week.

There will be one candidate nominated on the night, and the meeting will be chaired by former Cavan Town Council cathaoirleach Des Cullen.

Mr van der Spek last stood for the Labour party in the 2020 General Election, when he earned 983 first preference votes, losing his deposit, before being eliminated at Count 5.

He stood in the 2019 local elections also, when he received 591 first preference votes as a candidate in the Cavan-Belturbet area, and again was eliminated at Count 5.

“The Labour party will be holding our LE2024 selection convention for our local election candidate in the Cavan-Belturbet area at 7:30pm on Thursday 4th April in the Farnham Arms Hotel, Cavan Town,” said the party in a statement issued last week. “There will be one candidate nominated on the night; Liam van der Spek. Former Cavan town Cllr Des Cullen will chair the meeting.”

In a statement issued last week, Mr can der Spek who serves as Labour’s local area rep in Cavan claimed that governmental negligence was fuelling a “housing catastrophe”.

He was reacting to the publication of the Daft report that revealed a record low of below 10,500 homes available for purchase at the start of last month.

“As Government prepares to appoint a new Taoiseach on April 9, Labour urges the incoming leadership to prioritise the housing crisis with the urgency it demands,” Mr van der Spek said. “To suggest that 'we have turned a corner on housing' is a slap in the face to those for whom home ownership remains a distant dream, to those struggling cover expenses, and to those forced to seek refuge in emergency accommodation or on streets.”

He concluded by saying that young people in particular cannot afford to wait any longer for solutions to the housing crisis.

“An entire generation is being locked out of a future. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil must begin to prioritise the needs of working people who want to buy their first house or rent at an affordable rate, instead of only those looking to squeeze every bit of value out of their existing property portfolio. House prices continue to rise at the expense of the next generation and broader economic growth. The government must stop being dishonest, and get serious.”