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THIS WEEKEND, THE Labour Party holds its first National Conference since entering government last year. There will be anxious conversations throughout the weekend. Away from the cameras party members will talk about the past year and the future, and what this means for Labour and the country.
While it may be easy for the party to say that government must continue as is, that we will do whatever works, that we are dealing with the fall-out from over ten years of poor government by Fianna Fáil, that cannot be the case. Labour must only stay in government if we are shaping policy according to Labour values.
For the last two years, across Europe, I have seen governments fall and rise on different platforms, promising to hold the solution to the economic turmoil in the Eurozone. Each time the replacement government fails as they follow the same control policies, and those policies are not working because they are the policies of austerity.
The Labour Party should seek to depart from this path. I believe there is no excuse not to seek more progressive solutions. At the moment, we have to be cautious to protect delicate negotiations regarding our bailout conditions. But the time for caution will soon end. Ireland is a firewall for the Eurozone; we are the buffer to stop the banking system and economies of Europe crashing. In this, we have a great deal of power and it must be used in negotiations with our EU partners, and the Labour Party holds a great part of the responsibility for this delicate situation.
At a national level in coalition government I can see the difficulties for the Labour Party in challenging the status quo. But we must assert ourselves.
I fear also, as I tentatively look to the future, reading the tea leaves as it were, that unless something changes the current power structure within the party may eventually be destabilised, and this might not be in the national interest. Recently there have been many proxy battles and internal skirmishes which are not appropriate in these times. If a power struggle is to take place in the party it should not sputter on for years, it should end soon and decisively. Time is running out for the Irish people, the party has not the luxury to indulge in internal battles.
Ultimately what does all this mean for the party? I believe it means that the Labour Party must have significance. Voters need to know what we are about, and what we offer, what we stand for. Many parties in Europe have suffered losses in similar circumstances, and quite possibly losses will occur for the party in the next elections, and my seat could be one of these losses. That does not mean that I can abandon responsibility, but that I should seek to act on behalf of the people in the time remaining.
Following these elections, it would be my view that Labour will return as a centre left party. However, this will not happen if the party has lost all meaning for the voters. Rather, it may face steep decline. The question is how are we to continue to be relevant. The answer lies also with the members. It is not only the Parliamentary Party who will keep the party in existence, it will also be the members.
The members must hold the party leadership to account, and protect Social Democratic policies. These policies are about protective government, looking after the vulnerable and investing in jobs. The economic survival of the country, not only the survival of the Labour party, is at stake. We can’t go on with austerity and cuts indefinitely as I think the economy will eat itself alive.
In the European Parliament, my political group the Socialists and Democrats are pushing against the mantra of cuts and austerity. We believe that we should harness EU economic power as a whole, and boost the EU budget for public investment, make the euro a real competitor to the US Dollar in global markets. We support the introduction of Eurobonds, bonds that combine strength across the Eurozone and pool together into one joint bond. We believe in fair taxation in Europe and the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax and the end of tax havens. These are the policies that are the opposite of individualism and austerity for people and unquestioning protection for the global financial sector.
In conclusion, I believe that Labour must start to behave as though we are not merely the junior partner in a coalition. We hold the government together and can cause it to fall, and we may eventually have to do this if we cannot bring about real reform, rather than hold up a flawed notion that austerity alone will bring security.
Nessa Childers is a Member of the European Parliament for Ireland East.
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The Labour Party leadership are in power for the sake of power and nothing else, they can’t see beyond the next election, which will be the last for many of them
It’s a bit late for Nessa to be talking about ‘core values’. Should have thought of those a year ago and refused the poisoned chalice of office in partnership with the Blueshirts under the control of the troika.
Here’s the way it is, Nessa — Labour’s conscience struggled with its opportunism long ago, it was a short battle and conscience lost. Any values were abandoned. We suffer now —next election, Labour will.
If Nessa has any core values left, she would leave this rotten sellout party.
Fianna fail put party before country for years, have we learnt nothing. It should be country first before any party
labour can look at the green party to see their future. the leftist feel lied to and betrayed and will voice that by voting socialist or independent, worse still, sinn fein will probably profit on labours loss, labour is in power but its future is bleak
Talk is cheap Nessa. You haven’t expressed anything that we don’t already know.
Labour won’t pull out of government. Are you then going to leave labour?
Like that’s really going to happen. Maybe Fine Gael will pull out too!
What you predict is already in motion nessa. They are supposed to be partners in government not bumbling sidekicks. I won’t be voting for labour anytime soon based on current performance unless something radical starts happening. though I don’t regret giving a preference to tommy broughan at the time, I believe he upheld labour values.
Well the Greens sold their souls to FF a lot of their members resigned from the party, you have to give credit to those members that resigned for upholding their beliefs. I don’t see any labour TD doing this, what does that tell you about them?
Labour has to look past its own interests and put the country first. Pull out of Government and what then?? There is no comparison whtsoever between the PDs, the Greens and the Labour Party. The Labour Party has strong core values and is seeking to implement them and defend them in Government under very difficult circumstances. The easy thing to do would be take no reponsibility, stay out of Government and surge ahead in the polls and what type of selfish, tribal politics is that? The kind that got the country in the fix it’s in, in the first place. Labour must take the hits, persevere and remain in Government to ensure fairness and to protect the most vulnerable. There has to be more to politics than simpl;y seeking to get elected the next time. There is more to Labour than slogans and the politics of protest, as we offer viable strategies and progressive and positive solutions to problems. Labour must forget about the polls and cynical protests playing to the gallery and on peoples fears. The public elected Labour to Government to do the right thing by the country.
“The public elected Labour to Government to do the right thing by the country.”
So why are they not doing it?
I recall ‘burn the bondholders’ for one.
Opposition to fiscal austerity, now transmogrified into support for the EU Fiscal Compact deal which would lock any future government into foolish and damaging compulsory EU budget policy.
Stop the bullshit, Senator. You sold out, and that’s that.
What positive solutions does he speak of?? Paying unsecured bondholders whilst the citizens of this country slide into dire poverty, is that what he means? What does he mean by cynical protests? The thousands of people who have been rallying and marching is that who he is referring to? The “doing right thing” he says what is that? Making us a slave state under Franco/German rule is that what he means by the right thing?
Mr Whelan my Grandfather was proud to have Met with Jim Larkin and James Connolly and to have become a member of the party at it’s foundation in 1912. He remained true to his socialist principles all his life and passed this on to his family. Mr. Whelan my Grandfather is turning in his grave at what his party has become, how dare the leaders of the party abandon their origins in their grasp for power at any cost and how dare they abandon the people who gave them that power.
I and many others will be protesting outside your conference tomorrow and the spirit of my Grandfather and the founding members will be with us because we are the people that your party deserted.
Senator,
“…..we offer viable strategies and progressive and positive solutions to problems….”
No, you don’t.
You only offer some minor moderations within exactly the same failed neo liberal economic framework that both created the crisis & continues to damage prospects for recovery.
Essentially, ‘Neo Liberal Lite’, just like the UK Labour party & US ‘Democrats’.
Do not be frightened to look beyond the mainstream of macro economics thinking that has been thoroughly ‘captured’ by the flawed assumptions & ideological bias in favour of the 1%.
There are real & transformative policies available that you & your colleagues could really fight for in the Eurozone, making common cause with other states being similarly oppressed in the interests of the top few percent of wealthy & financial elites. There are no barriers to such options in terms of economics or ‘costs’.
Please take the time read my other post below & consider it carefully. I can explain it personally to you if you wish (msg my facebook a/c).
Latest poll figures to come out this weekend don’t look too good for Labour.
So Labour will soon be pulling out of Government then Nessa, as I struggle to see anything being implemented by this Government which a person could describe as ‘Labour values’.
Labour values are gone down the tube everyone in the country knows this bar the cowboys sitting at the top table.
When we the people vote in a government, they put the party before the people everytime. Labour are the red headed step child of Irish politics and should all band together and waddle towards the door with their well fed asses
Ehhh… “If a power struggle is to take place in the party it should not sputter on for years, it should end soon and decisively.”
Personally think she’s writing to hurt Gilmore, nothing more.
In saying that, if she is being genuine & not just playing politics, than fair play to her.
Oh dear the cracks are starting
“I believe there is no excuse not to seek more progressive solutions.” – Nessa Childers
Quite so Nessa, but all we ever hear IS excuses, together with 180 degree U-turns from all the bold rhetoric your party leaders spouted BEFORE they were elected. (e.g. Mr Gilmore’s ‘economic treason’ statements, before he got into to power & then continued with precisely the same policies of the previous regime.
Allow me to assist you Nessa if you are TRULY interested in the ‘progressive’ solutions that ARE available if your party & FG can grow a pair (even small ones).
For a start, you will struggle to find a macro economist anywhere much in Europe not completely ‘captured’ by the failed paradigm of neo liberal (neo classical) economics that caused the crisis in the 1st place & making what has followed infinitely worse than it need be. (In fact, had the policies & thinking, offered below, been adopted 4 years, Ireland would be near fuly recovered & fully employed, bank losses taken on or not.)
Sadly also you will not find any useful economists in the so-called ‘progressives’ of the trades unions.
Start here:
http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/
and here:
http://neweconomicperspectives.org/
With apologies to regular readers here, I repeat the policy option (based on the MMT principles explained in those links), which could be adopted immediately with transformative effects & no ‘cost’ to anyone.
As posted at the Journal previously:
“Just as the Euro Central Bank (ECB) created from thin air (as the Euro currency issuer) €1,000 billion to give to banks in the last 3 months, it do the same to reverse unemployment & stimulate economic growth throughout the whole currency union. There is no ‘debt’ or ‘cost’ incurred to anyone – this is what a currency issuer authority can do if we the people demand it.
Specifically, a minimum wage job, thus financed, can be offered to every unemployed person who wishes to take it up. (It must be purely voluntary, or it will lead to even worse exploitation.) The jobs offered must not compete with existing or normally waged employment in private or public sector. They must be flexible & not inherently designed to be permanent – workers will naturally migrate to ‘real’ jobs as the economy grows & recovers. Most ‘Job Guarantee’ jobs would be administered by the charity, voluntary & community sector, where extra labour is always needed for socially enhancing projects in the community. Projects not otherwise ever affordable or justifiable within normal public sector activities.
Whilst there are real social & community benefits to had (& possible experience & training benefits to participants), the important thing is the economic stimulus effect of them spending wages into the economy. Plus, of course, the savings in reduced aggregate unemployment benefits of the member governments. Savings which can make both debt payments sustainable & allow some restoration of frontline services & public investment, further stimulating growth & recovery.
There are no ‘financial’ or ‘economics’ reasons why this solution could not be adopted tomorrow. Only political will & vested interests of the elites are preventing such a policy.”
Ráiméis. Labour would never pull out! All rhetoric which people no longer buy in to. Actions speak louder than words, Nessa.
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