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Outgoing Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore.
Labour Pains
Grassroots Labour group to call for renegotiation of the Programme for Government
Campaign for Labour Policies believe the Labour party should withdraw from coalition if Fine Gael doesn’t give them ‘everything they want’.
A MOTION THAT could see Labour withdraw from government will be on the table later today at a meeting of a breakaway group of the party’s members.
Campaign for Labour Policies has invited all members of the party to a meeting this afternoon to discuss the state of the party in the wake of the local, European and by-elections.
Currently one TD, Joanna Tuffy, is expected to attend.
The grassroots organisation, which has previously held meetings at the same time as major Labour conferences, has fragmented in recent months, but is looking to get back on its feet again.
Spokesperson for the group Richard Barrett told TheJournal.ie that this meeting was planned prior to Eamon Gilmore’s resignation as leader of the party, and that it will not be focusing on leadership issues.
“A motion will be put to the meeting… that’s going to touch on whether or not to stay in government,” he said, explaining that it’s believed a renegotiation of the Programme for Government is needed.
However, Barrett said the motion would look for Labour to walk out of government if the renegotiation “doesn’t give us everything we want”, saying that work so far in government has been “too much on the opposition’s terms”.
The Labour party is currently in the midst of a leadership contest, with Minister Joan Burton and Junior Minister Alex White battling it out for the top job and four deputies looking to become Deputy Leader.
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