LABOUR IS IN CRISIS
Alan Kelly speaks out
ALAN Kelly has warned that the Labour Party is portraying an “absence of visible leadership” on economic issues affecting ordinary people.
Writing exclusively in the Sunday Independent, Mr Kelly breaks his silence on the controversy surrounding Brendan Howlin’s leadership by saying the party should be led by “strong personalities that represent political values”.
Mr Howlin has come under intense pressure from coun- cillors and party activists to step down since the start of the month.
Sources close to the Tipperary TD said he has had nothing to do with the calls for Mr Howlin to resign and he has no intention of personally attacking the Labour leader.
In today’s newspaper, Mr Kelly makes no reference to Mr Howlin but instead outlines in detail his vision for the party’s leadership.
“Some people say that politics shouldn’t be about personalities. That’s nice in theory but simply wrong in practice,” he writes.
“Leadership in politics has always been and forever will be about strong personalities that represent political values and generate support for them from the public. Yes that involves teamwork within a party but that party has to be led with passion, energy and conviction,” Mr Kelly adds.
Mr Kelly says the party should reposition itself as the “voice of the working people” and ask themselves “what leadership of the Labour movement entails”.
“Labour can no longer be part of a cosy consensus within Ireland. We must return to our roots with vigour and concern ourselves above all else with the problems of economic inequality. That must be our political crusade. Only then can we begin to regain the trust of those that the party exists to represent,” he says.
The TD also quotes historian Diarmaid Ferriter’s description of former Labour Party leader Brendan Corish: “He took risks in how he positioned the party, did not let his ego dominate, and at least he worried about things Labour ministers should worry about.”
Mr Kelly says the party needs to “regain the trust” of the public and reconnect with areas of the country where Labour traditionally had a strong support base such as Cork and Kerry, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wicklow.
“We need to draw a line under the last government, admit our mistakes and let others judge our many achievements. Then by being true to our historic values and always targeting economic inequality, we can begin the task of reconnecting with communities and regaining that trust,” he says.
“But it requires leadership. It requires people who will do what is right for the country long term rather than for themselves,” he adds.
He also notes that Labour has polled lower than its 2014 local election result in 63 out of 64 opinion polls published since the last general election.
Mr Howlin has faced an increasing number of calls from Labour Party councillors to step down as leader and allow a leadership contest.
A group of 14 Labour councillors last week requested a meeting with Mr Howlin, which he dismissed.
Yesterday, an officially recognised arm of the party, Labour Equality, said it no longer had confidence in Mr Howlin’s leadership.
However, the Labour leader has so far dismissed attempts to force him to resign and 16 councillors issued a statement supporting his leadership earlier this month.
Mr Howlin has invited all elected representatives to a party meeting in Drogheda next month where it is expected his leadership will be discussed.
THE former leader of the Labour Party Brendan Corish once said that he used to lie awake at night worrying about people who were unemployed. That concern about people who were out of decent work should be the motivating force that defines leadership of parties of the left, not only here in Ireland but across the European Union.
Across Europe, traditional parties of the left have seen a decline in their electoral fortunes in recent years but nowhere has this been as pronounced as in Ireland. Almost two-and-a-half years on from the last general election, in poll after poll the public has shown that it hasn’t regained faith in Labour. In 63 out of 64 published opinion polls since the last general election, Labour has polled below its 2014 local election vote. Far from increasing our representation, any objective analysis of these polls would indicate that we are facing a very difficult task in the next local and general elections.
Too many in Labour are concerned with a quick return to government, a hope that a future potential administration will fall short of a majority and need the support of Labour in taking power. Frankly, the last thing on anyone’s mind in Labour should be an immediate return to government in such circumstances.
It is time to realise that it is not the function of Labour to provide voting fodder in the Dail lobby for parties of the economic right. Yes, Labour should aspire to government but only from a position of strength. I despise the rise of populism in Irish politics and I believe in being in government — but not until the public is willing to put its trust again in Labour in large numbers.
And how do we regain that trust? Labour needs to rebuild and renew its traditional mandate. Labour needs to reconnect with communities across Ireland. Historically, Labour had a tradition of representing communities across the country. The Labour tradition of a strong grass roots membership, not just in Dublin but in counties such as Cork and Kerry, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wicklow has been in decline. We need to reconnect with these communities, but two-and-a-half years on from leaving government, Labour is stuck in neutral.
The public perceives an absence of visible leadership from Labour in challenging economic inequality within the State. Labour needs to regain the trust from and re-establish itself as the voice of those who are running to stand still. There is significant wealth in sections of the country yet the vast majority of people are just about getting by. For many, the weekly wage or monthly salary barely meets the cost of a mortgage or rent, childcare and living expenses. Any extra cost, an unexpected medical bill, back to school expenses, extra fuel costs, brings worry and concern to people.
When people are working all week but barely getting by, then we must realise that as a country we are failing our citizens. Working families should be able to afford a modest holiday, a pizza at weekends and to be able to change the car every five years. Work must pay. Labour must by our very name represent this and take on our political opponents uncompromisingly. We must ensure that people who work or want to work are not struggling to get by and see Labour as their political home.
How can people aspire to owning a home when house prices are rising by 12pc a year? And how can people have any real disposable income with rents now at an alltime high?
What does it say about our public health service when private health insurance is now deemed a basic necessity by so many?
This week and next, parents all over this country will juggle their finances to pay for uniforms and books, to pay “voluntary contributions” to effectively subvent the provision of education to their children despite having already paid for “free education” through their taxes.
Tomorrow, Leaving Cert students will receive offers for university and college places across the country but the sense of joy and achievement will be tempered by the costs of college fees, astronomical student rental charges and a grants system that is not keeping pace with the increased cost of student living.
As a Labour Party we need to be unequivocal in our demand that there are no charges for going to school and that access to third level should be based on academic merit rather than on an ability to pay. Most importantly, we need to hold up our hands and admit that Labour was wrong to break its promise on third level fees and that Labour was wrong to increase the costs of going to college.
Labour needs to hold its hand up for lots of things and we are not doing this. When we allow a two-tier pay structure to exist in the public service we are exacerbating income inequality. How can people trust us on equality when we allowed a system be maintained where two people are paid differently for doing the same job in the same place?
Labour faces a huge hurdle in regaining the trust of the Irish people. We need to draw a line under the last government, admit our mistakes and let others judge our many achievements. Then by being true to our historic values and always targeting economic inequality we can begin the task of reconnecting with communities and regaining that trust.
But it requires leadership. It requires people who will do what is right for the country long-term rather than for themselves. My formative years in politics were greatly influenced by the late Jim Kemmy. His vote against the 1982 Budget remains a defining moment in political history. He voted against the Budget knowing that it would cause a general election and endanger his own seat, but he did so because he knew that the imposition of VAT on children’s clothing and footwear was wrong despite the attempts of many, including Labour, to rationalise it. Kemmy understood the needs of his community and voted accordingly. That’s real leadership.
Some people say that politics shouldn’t be about personalities. That’s nice in theory but simply wrong in practice. Leadership in politics has always been and forever will be about strong personalities that represent political values and generate support for them from the public. Yes, that involves teamwork within a party but that party has to be led with passion, energy and conviction.
Labour needs to regain its position as the voice of working people. Those of us who are elected to represent Labour in the Oireachtas and across local authorities need to ask ourselves what leadership of the Labour movement entails.
As the historian Diarmaid Ferriter once observed of Brendan Corish: “He took risks in how he positioned the party, did not let his ego dominate, and at least he worried about things Labour ministers should worry about.”
Labour can no longer be part of a cosy consensus within Ireland. We must return to our roots with vigour and concern ourselves above all else with the problems of economic inequality. That must be our political crusade. Only then can we begin to regain the trust of those that the party exists to represent.
‘Public perceives an absence of visible leadership from Labour’