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When it comes to local and European election campaigns, the received wisdom is that they don’t fire the emotions in the same way as a general election, but, as Matt Cooper learns, try telling that to candidates from migrant backgrounds. On Wednesday’s edition of The Last Word ( Today FM , weekdays) the presenter speaks to Teresa Buczkowska of the Immigrant Council of Ireland , who baldly states that “the level of harassment and intimidation is much higher” than during the last local vote, in 2019. Such has been the vehemence of recent anti-immigrant activity, Buczkowska adds, that some electoral hopefuls of migrant heritage curbed canvassing and postering for fear “that they might draw violent attention to themselves and their families”.

You don’t need a case of election fever to feel sick at hearing this. It’s a depressing if glumly predictable item, speaking not just of the toxic miasma surrounding so much of the immigration debate but also of Cooper’s commitment to lifting the carpet on unsavoury aspects of Irish life. The host isn’t a natural purveyor of strong opinions, but his take on the issue is shot through with palpable indignation.



“Here we have people who have come from other countries, and not only do they work in the community but they want to get involved in the politics of our society, and they’re getting abused by people who perhaps say they’re not racist.” Coming from the unshowy Cooper, this bruised sense of civility practically .

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