*Violet-Anne Wynne. Photograph: John Mangan
HAVING PREVIOUSLY called for the resignation of Clare TD, Violet-Anne Wynne (IND), Fine Gael member Mike Taylor has said his “views have changed” after commencing work as her new parliamentary assistant.
As first reported by The Clare Echo, 2019 local election rivals Wynne and Taylor are now working together. The Kilkee man has become the fourth parliamentary assistant of the Clare TD who was first elected in February 2020.
In February of this year, Taylor aired his criticism of the Kilrush woman. He tweeted, “the circus that has unfolded in Clare over the last two years since the Deputy was elected has completely distracted from the serious issues at hand in the constituency. Another day another sideshow, two years of ridicule. The best thing now would be for the Deputy to step aside”.
Remarkably nine months on, he is now on her payroll and one of her key advisers operating from her constituency office on Parnell Street.
Speaking to The Clare Echo he said “my views have changed. I now realise politics isn’t a sport. Being at the coalface of the lack of access and services over the last year just shows there are things in the world bigger than the sport of politics. Our job is to do the best we can for the people of Clare and my views have very much changed, it’s about working together for the betterment of the people of Clare to provide access to services and to raise the key and crucial issues in the Dáil today like the fact that 99 Clare children are waiting for appointments following referral to disability teams and other important issues”.
Explaining how his thinking has altered, the NUIG graduate remarked that working alongside Deputy Wynne “gives me a key insight into the work she does and behind the scenes over last two years”.
He blamed both the media and Wynne’s former party Sinn Féin for influencing his former views of the mother of six. “The distraction tactics by the media and her former party clouded my judgement in my past. I’ve known Violet-Anne for a long time, we campaigned side by side for together for yes, I ran alongside her in the 2019 elections, I know the type of worker she is and I’m proud to work beside her”.
Elaborating on how the media shaped his viewpoint towards the Offaly native, the twenty four year old said, “With the proliferation of constantly negative stories and lack of positive press or press releases being published or her statements in the Dáil or committees in the past. There has been a focus on the negativity like rent arrears and family issues which should have no bearing on whether she is a good politician, there is a complete lack of focus by the media on the good work she does.
Yet, he acknowledged that his own tweet was among the most critical comments directed at Deputy Wynne. “We’ve known each other for a long time, there is a lot of water under the bridge in the past, people change, views change, times change, I’ve learned that I don’t know everything all the time, perspective is fundamental”.
Mike added, “The past is in the past, we’re working together for the people of Clare, somethings are bigger than party politics, the situation facing Clare with no Government Minister, no Minister of state or no Minister in the region shows people have to grow up sometimes and that’s what I’ve done”.
Efforts by The Clare Echo to contact Deputy Wynne on Tuesday and Wednesday were unsuccessful.
