Ballyduff Independent candidate wants ‘fairness’
Cavan man Lester James Gordon has declared his candidacy and will represent the Shamrock Independents in the Ballyjamesduff area at the upcoming local elections.
“The system is broken, absolutely,” claims Mr Gordon, a haulier and small farmer. “Our only chance of making change happen is to make it happen ourselves.”
Mr Gordon is one of at least 50 Shamrock candidates nationwide set to stand for election in June. He had his own poster printed up with a photo at a waterfall, asking the question: ‘Is our country like this waterfall? Gone down the Swanee?’.
“Everyone knows me. With being 43 years and more on the road, it’d be hard to be anything else, and I’ve never gone grabbing nor greeding against any other man. That’s where I stand. I’m against these extremist agendas. A lot of people can’t cope, and it’s destroying lives. I stand against that.”
On his flyers Mr Gordon promises to ask the ‘hard questions’, rails against ‘planned migration’, and wants to see a government that gives ‘country people a fair shake’.
He also wants to hold Cavan ‘administrators liable for decisions that are not in the people’s interest’.
A native of Kilnaleck originally, but living in Kilgolagh, Finea, Mr Gordon says he called to 200 homes last Saturday in the Ballyjamesduff area. The prevailing message he took away was: “People are tired, they want change. They’re coming with two flat hands towards me, they’re not interested to see or hear anything if I’m for any of the main parties, but when I tell them I’m independent they’ll listen. People are just sick of the system, the way it’s being engineered, the wrong way every way. The list is endless. I’m supposed to be far right and crazy, and a conspiracy theorist and all of that. But what I am is a man that just wants fairness, honesty, integrity and decency, and not the roguery that’s going on.”
Mr Gordon is regarded as being outspoken on a range of issues concerning governance and policy in Ireland. When asked how he would feel about getting elected to a system he so often criticises. “If the system is beaten and is broken, we have to correct it some way. The living man is entitled to do that.”
* The Celt published profiles of the Ballyjamesduff candidates last week. At the time of going to print, we were unaware of Mr Gordon’s intention to run.