MARTIN MCGUINNESS has warned that a vote for presidential candidates from the government parties will give them a “comfort blanket” to continue their programme of banking bailouts.
In a statement this lunchtime, McGuinness launched his most direct attack yet on Gay Mitchell and Michael D Higgins, saying the two candidates would prioritise supporting the government if they were to be elected.
The pair’s respective Fine Gael and Labour parties intended to “continue with the policies of the last government”, he said, including “huge austerity aimed at working families, those on the lowest incomes, and frontline health and education services”.
“And they will continue to pour billions of taxpayers’ money into bailing out banks and for bondholders,” McGuinness – who is running in the election as an independent candidate – said.
“A vote in the Presidential election for either of the government parties will give them a comfort blanket to continue with more cuts and to hand away even more power to the European Union,” he said.
“It is obvious that the priority of the Labour and Fine Gael candidates would be to support the government no matter what they do.”
McGuinness’s statement came after the completion of a seven-way debate, recorded at Dublin City University this morning, which is being broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 this afternoon.
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