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THE LABOUR PARTY must start bringing in policies based on Labour values or else pull out of the coalition, Labour MEP Nessa Childers has warned.
In an opinion piece for TheJournal.ie this morning the Ireland East MEP writes that Labour must start to behave as though it is not just 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,” writes Childers.
The Labour MEP also says that the internal fights in the highest ranks of the party are ‘not appropriate’ and hints at a leadership struggle for control of the party:
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.
Childers writes that while it would be easy for the party to say that the government must continue in its current form, that cannot be the case.
Labour must only stay in government if we are shaping policy according to Labour values.
The Ireland East MEP said she had seen governments failing across Europe as they tried to push through policies of austerity and called on Labour to try a different approach.
“I believe there is no excuse not to seek more progressive solutions,” writes Childers.
She called on the party to use its national conference this weekend to discuss what the first year in government has meant for Labour and for the country.
Separately, party colleague Patrick Nulty TD called on party leadership to listen to members at the Labour conference in Galway this weekend.
Nulty, who lost the whip when he voted against the government over December’s Budget, said that the party can only begin to more forcibly make its presence felt in government by listening to the motions set down by members.
The Dublin West TD said that Labour’s identity as a party championing a radical agenda has been eroded.
At least one elected official has a spine.
She comes from good ”stock” . I admire her and wonder will she be in Galway this weekend ?
I wouldn’t be so quick to praise Ms Childers. She is a member of the Spinelli Group, this group is actively seeking the destruction of the nation state and the creation of a federal EU. As far as I’m concerned she is a treasonist.
Ian Walsh
I have never heard of the Spinelli Group . However I googled it and Spinelli promotes Federalism and European power above Natioalist ideals …. Scarey Sh1t. However ,and it is not that I doubt you , but I could not find where Nessa Childers is associated with it…. Is there a link or something ? See this is where things get complicated and are never straight forward and has a lot to do with politicians talking out of both sides of their mouths …. I would be very interested Ian in knowing more . Thanks :)
“nationlist idealism” in the EU means Germany, France, WW1, WW2. It doesn’t mean they want to destroy our national identity. Local politics has destroyed our country.
At last. A labour politician with a backbone speaks some sense. ‘Casper the ghost’ Gilmore had better up his game .
Does champagne socialist Eamon Gilmore even know what Labours core beliefs are anymore?
The old cliché of dead patriots spinning in graves comes to mind.
I doubt it. Not on the “champagne pay cheque” he is on.
I hope for labours sake they are looking at the greens and the PD’s faith. This all looks to me like the beginning of a party implosion as local elections begin the process of eradication of these dinosaurs
It’s a like a bricklayer telling an architect that the walls that he wants him to build are unsafe because the foundations are not adequate to support the weight , unfortunately the walls still gets built by a different bricklayer & sure enough eventually the walls come tumbling down.
Before the next election I’d expect her to be an independent.
How about
Labour must return to honesty and keeping promises.
Looks like the ULA are about to get their second MEP.
The nature of coalition governments is that there will be give and take on both sides. Of course Labour aren’t going to get everything they wanted why should they? They didn’t win the election and have half the number of seats that Fine Gael do. When Labour win the next election outright Ms Childers then Labour policies can be at the core of government but until then you’ll compromise with the big bad wolves in Fine Gael. As the late Seamus Brennan said “you’re playing senior hurling now lads”.
FG will take a lot and give little. The wealthy should be carrying a larger share of the taxes. Let’s see how things shape up in the 2013 budget. Labour conference next year should be a lively affair.
Latest poll figures to come out this weekend don’t look too good for Labour.
rubbish,non-one believes even her
The big question if Labour dies who else is left to vote for?
Defo a problem.
We’re running out of options very quickly. Guess we’ll be voting for another version of ‘manufactured consent’. I feel forced to vote Sinn Fein next time. There will be promises, they will be broken, the media will acquiesce, and nothing will change.
Looking forward to Labour reaping the fruit of their lies though. My views are not represented in government, despite them being espoused before the election by Labour. The system is slanted against citizens having any say on what is happening to the country.
I wonder what a democracy would look like?
Personally, I think national politics is dead. We need to devolve power down to local government.
The founders of the Labour party in Ireland I suspect, are turning in their graves.
The current leadership in their rush to get power, have sold their principles and selves to the devil of capitalism and self- gain!
Forgetting in the meanwhile about the very people they are supposed to be representing, the hard working workers of the country and those that want to work.
Shame on them!
Unless there is clear change – not just some PR whitewashing stunts and spin – I and my family will never be voting Labour again.
We are already never voting Fianna Fail, the Greens and Fine Gael again ever.
(Going towards the Irish Democratic Party.)
I am disgusted by the turnaround on the issue of Shannon airport rendition flights by Gilmore. Obviously a vote getter policy that got dropped like a hot potato once in office. This will come back to haunt us.
Childers has shifted between political parties, developing her own core values no doubt. Attention seeking stuff.
Labour is governing according to it’s core values. Forget the veneer of political propaganda!
I find it odd all these posters talking about backbone. It doesn’t take much backbone to spout some populist rhetoric along the lines of ‘Austerity isn’t working’.
It takes backbone to come up with a meaningful solution to the massive deficits this country is still running.
Fair dues to Labor for being realistic in government.
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