LABOUR HAS SAID that the exclusion of its party logo from some of MEP Emer Costello’s election posters was “an oversight”.
Costello is seeking to retain the Labour European Parliament seat in Dublin in May’s elections with her posters and banners going up around the capital in recent days.
However despite including the logo of the European Parliament grouping, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), there is no reference to Labour, with the poster describing her as ‘Dublin’s MEP’ who is ‘Getting Dublin Working’
In response to queries from TheJournal.ie, Labour released a mock-up of materials it has produced for the forthcoming campaign which include the party logo:
A spokesperson said the omission of the party's logo on posters that have already been erected around some parts of the capital was "an oversight".
Costello could not be reached for comment. She previously put up posters advertising a public meeting at Liberty Hall which also excluded the Labour logo.
The junior coalition party faces an uphill battle to retain its European Parliament seat in Dublin with polls showing it is unlikely to match its general election performance three years ago in the 23 May vote.
Speaking in Brussels yesterday, the Tánaiste and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore described Costello, who was selected last weekend, as "an outstanding member of the European Parliament already".
"We will be asking people in Dublin to re-elect her to the European Parliament," he said, She was the champion of the youth guarantee which is now is becoming a reality."
'Ashamed'
Socialist Party MEP Paul Murphy accused Costello of being "ashamed" of her Labour Party membership.
He said that if it she wasn't ashamed, the logo omission was "a cynical election ploy in an attempt to avoid the backlash which is on the cards for the Labour Party in the local and European elections".
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