Mistrust of the electorate could undo good work of previous Labour stalwarts

SIR ,

Apparently Brendan Howlin is Labour’s problem with the electorate. There are moves afoot to move him sideways.

After the last local elections Labour got a drubbing, and their solution was to get rid of Eamon Gilmore. Whoever made this assessment on their poor showing obviously got it wrong as Joan Burton failed to improve the party’s standing afterwards. The party went from 33 seats to just seven.

Brendan, ‘the steady pair of hands’, took over, and their position in the polls since has been dismal in the extreme.

Did it ever dawn on the powers that be in Labour that it’s not a leadership problem, but rather a deserting of traditional Labour policies that is the cause of their near annihilation?

They slavishly became ‘junior Fine Gael’ in the last government to the detriment of their party values.

People, even the party faithful, deserted them because of this.

Have they a place in the political scene anymore? Who can say they won’t do what’s ‘necessary’ to get into government on the next occasion.

Some appeared to cherish a ministry over policy in their last coalition. They were, in some cases, in the twilight of their long careers; last chance saloon so to speak .

But a party of the left has a constituency in Ireland. Can Labour get it back?

I feel the mistrust of the electorate is going to haunt them for many years to come, and all the good work done by previous Labour stalwarts, especially here in Kerry, will be forgotten.

Regards

Gerry Cournane

Tralee