[Hugh O'Connell]
A FRESH-FACED YOUNG man appears on the front page of today’s Irish Times offering his full support to Labour MEP Emer Costello in her bid to retain a seat in Brussels.
“Emer has delivered on the Youth Guarantee for my generation,” says a quote — presumably from him.
Only Emer has the influence and track record to deliver on the legacy bank debt for us.
It’s all the sort of thing you’d expect someone appearing in an ad for a political candidate to say, obviously.
If the person saying those things happened to be the chair of a political party’s youth wing, you might also expect some sort of caption telling you that, too.
Ciarán Garrett, the Labour Youth Chairperson, is the man whose profile peers out from the bottom-right hand corner of today’s Paper Of Record.
He’s rejecting any suggestions that the ad may be a little disingenuous.
“I’m a young person who’s actively campaigning, not just for Labour but for ICTU Youth, and the Young Workers Network to try and improve conditions for young people,” Garrett said.
To be honest I don’t see how its disingenuous to me as young person and as a campaigner.
A Labour spokesperson pointed out that Garrett was a well known figure within the party who had spoken at many party events.
“If you’re suggesting we’re trying to deceive anyone here that’s not the case,” the spokesperson said.
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