Mae Sexton to join Labour

steelcityblues

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0427/breaking21.html


I would like posters' thoughts on this.

Does a move like this comfirm that the nature of political expediency is too prevalent in Irish politics? An alternative view - Could it be a former TD of another party can have a genuine turn in philosophy to a party that her former colleagues would have frequently criticised through the Dail chamber, media, etc?

I would be more inclined towards the former, but what do ye think?

Sleepy

Given the narrow idealogical spectrum of Irish politics, and one could argue, the lack of ideals held by Irish politicians, I think it's a mix of both.

gizmo555

Says it all really - a PD joining Labour. Still there's precedent, albeit from left to right, rather than right to left - remember Michael O'Leary (the late Labour leader - not the Ryanair boss!) jumping ship to Fine Gael?

Puts me in mind of the radio interview I heard Ruairí Quinn give when he was elected leader of Labour, in which he proudly proclaimed he was a socialist. I remember thinking at the time that it was nice to know there was still one in the party . . .

Pride Fighter

The PD's and Labour share a lot of common ground. Both parties are socially very liberal, would be in favour of things like gay marriage etc. Where they differ is in terms of economics. If Mae has a brain, she can see that the PD's policies helped ruin this nation. If she is now of the belief that the financial sector needs to be regulated and the casino capitalism has to end her social liberalism and new found economic thinking would make her a welcome addition to Labour.

gizmo555

Pride Fighter wrote: »

The PD's and Labour share a lot of common ground. Both parties are socially very liberal, would be in favour of things like gay marriage etc. Where they differ is in terms of economics.

I thought that too, when Michael McDowell was appointed Justice Minister. While I'd have nothing in common with him on economic issues, I expected that he'd be a libertarian in Justice, protective of citizens' rights and freedoms, and was very pleased to see him get that job.

Instead, he was the most reactionary, illiberal Minister the department has ever seen and combined this with a mania for introducing awful legislation at a fantastic rate. Whatever else one thinks of John Gormley, like him or loathe him, he has justified his entire political career by ending Michael McDowell's!

As for Sexton, it looks like naked careerism to me - she's obviously hoping she can ride into the Dáil on the coat tails of the locally very popular Penrose.

Tenderloins1

Sexton was originally a Community Candidate
Her 1992 Leaflet when running as an independent

There were a number of Community based Independents such as herself and Kate Walsh that joined the PDs in that period. They may not have given too much thought to the economic side of policies but would have admired Mary Harney (as many did).
Sextons backgriound is actually Fianna Fail in that her father was a Fianna Fail councillor, however her Father in Law was very much a Trade Union man.
You have also got to think that there wasn't much of a Labour Party in Longford or Roscommon back then. The PDs did what Labour are doing now in inventing an local organisation by recruiting an Independent.
Same story for Labour now as they recruit Cowley in Mayo and John Kelly in Roscommon. I'm sure there will be a few more surprises along the line.

SeanW

gizmo555 wrote: »

I thought that too, when Michael McDowell was appointed Justice Minister. While I'd have nothing in common with him on economic issues, I expected that he'd be a libertarian in Justice, protective of citizens' rights and freedoms, and was very pleased to see him get that job.

Instead, he was the most reactionary, illiberal Minister the department has ever seen and combined this with a mania for introducing awful legislation at a fantastic rate. Whatever else one thinks of John Gormley, like him or loathe him, he has justified his entire political career by ending Michael McDowell's!

QFT! IMO the PDs lost any claim to being a liberal/libertarian party after a slew of authoritarian actions, Mary H. banning mushrooms, everything Michael McDowell did etc.

IIRC the only good idea McDowell had was the Cafe Bars, but ... that's another story ... and another reason not to vote FF unless you like moral bankruptcy.

steelcityblues

I think this development, along with recruiting Jerry Cowley and apparently Jimmy Harte in Donegal, shows that behind his bravado in public, Gilmore may not have the ultimate faith in the loyal footsoldiers to deliver electoral gains. Ironic thing being that the current leader is essentially a party 'blow in' himself!

j1smithy

gizmo555 wrote: »

I thought that too, when Michael McDowell was appointed Justice Minister. While I'd have nothing in common with him on economic issues, I expected that he'd be a libertarian in Justice, protective of citizens' rights and freedoms, and was very pleased to see him get that job.

Instead, he was the most reactionary, illiberal Minister the department has ever seen and combined this with a mania for introducing awful legislation at a fantastic rate. Whatever else one thinks of John Gormley, like him or loathe him, he has justified his entire political career by ending Michael McDowell's!

As for Sexton, it looks like naked careerism to me - she's obviously hoping she can ride into the Dáil on the coat tails of the locally very popular Penrose.

Sextons base is more located in Longford, rather than Westmeath, where Labour support is far weaker. She probably would have joined FG if only for that she would split the FG Longford vote and neither herself or the shockingly poor Bannon (Gob****e of the year in the Independent two years running) would get elected.

Tbh it does look a lot like careerism, but then maybe she was aleays a socialist at heart. I would love to know her opinions on the social parts of the Labour manifesto. Somewhere as conservative as Longford would have difficulty returning a candidate that would be pro-choice for example.

The_Minister

Meh.

A whole raft of Labour's new faces after the locals are ex-PDs (though they don't seem to realise about all of them).

Nothing new here.

gizmo555

Asked how she could make the transition from the Progressive Democrats to the Labour Party, given the ideological gap, Ms Sexton said: “First of all, I didn’t, because the Progressive Democrats no longer exist.

“Secondly, the economic circumstances that prevail today are completely different to what they were, even five years ago.

“But apart from all of that, I’ve never got myself hung up on theoretical ideologies, I’m about delivery, I’m about honesty, transparency, I’m about community, motherhood and apple pie* and that’s what every TD in the House should be about.”

Translated into usable English, "That was then this is now, and anyway I have no guiding political principles. I just blow with the prevailing political wind and so does Labour these days, for that matter"

*OK, I inserted the last two meaningless buzzwords myself . . .

ballsymchugh

j1smithy wrote: »

Sextons base is more located in Longford, rather than Westmeath, where Labour support is far weaker. She probably would have joined FG if only for that she would split the FG Longford vote and neither herself or the shockingly poor Bannon (Gob****e of the year in the Independent two years running) would get elected.

Tbh it does look a lot like careerism, but then maybe she was aleays a socialist at heart. I would love to know her opinions on the social parts of the Labour manifesto. Somewhere as conservative as Longford would have difficulty returning a candidate that would be pro-choice for example.

agreed. the most she could do is put up a bit of a fight for the 4th seat, but it would still be bannon's to lose, with the tide turning towards fine gael in a county with a fairly proud blueshirt history. the ff seat is pretty secure, sadly enough. after hearing peter kelly interviewed on newstalk a few times during the year, he should clearly push bannon for gobshyte of the year.
she doesn't really have much of a hope outside longford town. there's no elected labour councillor in either council there.
as for the switch, probably just to ease the funding for the election.

Annasopra

ballsymchugh wrote: »

as for the switch, probably just to ease the funding for the election.

I doubt that Labour is giving her any money whatsoever.

ballsymchugh

Johnnymcg wrote: »

I doubt that Labour is giving her any money whatsoever.

not even to make a poster or 2? thought they were centrally funded.

Pride Fighter

ballsymchugh wrote: »

not even to make a poster or 2? thought they were centrally funded.

At the locals each Labour candidate for council could secure a 2,000 euro grant from head office. I'd say its the same at general elections but the grant would be higher. 2k in comparison with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael is a pittance. At local elections you're allowed have a budget in the region of 10-15k. As a result Labour candidates have to do a lot of their own fundraising.

gizmo555

Pride Fighter wrote: »

2k in comparison with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael is a pittance.

It's €2k more than she'd have as an independent . . . .

andreab

gizmo555 wrote: »

As for Sexton, it looks like naked careerism to me - she's obviously hoping she can ride into the Dáil on the coat tails of the locally very popular Penrose.

That's exactly what I was thinking Willie Penrose is usually top of the ballot and as his running mate she would pick up whats left over. I've always given Willie my first or second preference becasue he does alot for the local community but I will think twice about this come the next election. Don't have any faith in her and what's more don't think the longford/westmeath area need two Labour TDs!!

Pride Fighter

gizmo555 wrote: »

It's €2k more than she'd have as an independent . . . .

True that. My point is she will have to do a lot of her own fundraising.

Annasopra

ballsymchugh wrote: »

not even to make a poster or 2? thought they were centrally funded.

At the locals each Labour candidate for council could secure a 2,000 euro grant from head office. I'd say its the same at general elections but the grant would be higher. 2k in comparison with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael is a pittance. At local elections you're allowed have a budget in the region of 10-15k. As a result Labour candidates have to do a lot of their own fundraising.

Not true at all - No Labour candidate for local elections or dail elections gets central funding from the party head office

ballsymchugh

Johnnymcg wrote: »

Not true at all - No Labour candidate for local elections or dail elections gets central funding from the party head office

fair enough. just makes her decision to join labour a bit baffling. there's never been a labour vote in longford and the constituency has as far as i can remember been split evenly between the 2 counties. as andrea said, willie will top it again based on his own local work more than the party.
mae would probably be better off going as an independent

Hilden

As a Labour member in this constituency (the Longford end) I do find it a bit disappointing that they have allowed Mae to go on the ticket.

I'm annoyed that there has been such an effort made by a lot of people over the years to encourage people in the area that Labour's message is also relevant to the people of Longford which seems to be ignored by head office to give priority to a blow-in candidate.

People tend to forget the 1997 and 2002 elections when the PDs were so vehemently against labour ideology and Labours attitude to private involvement in the formulation of public sector policy and state involvement in private sector policy. That attitude has lead us to our present situation (poor bank regulation, non-existant employment regulation and bad planning) and Mae Sexton weather she likes it or not was part of that.

Although I will continue to give my first preference to Willie I remain to be convinced that Mae Sexton is a real Labour candidate and not just another candidate with a high profile.

I am one of the few people in this country who still believes that our problems both locally and nationally can only be sorted out through a consistent set of well thought-out policies not vote winning personalities and although this has not been the accepted attitude at the moment we have to ask ourselves where has this personality politics got us? Bertie Ahern anyone????

SeanW

As a Longfordian who hopes to get rid of the incumbents in 2012, I have some mixed feelings about this: Labour is a small part relatively, and it gets its fair share in Longford-Westmeath (4 seater), which typically elects two TDs from each county. The current makeup, if my info is correct, is:

1. Willie Penrose, Labour (Westmeath)
2. Mary O Rourke, FF (Westmeath, Athlone area I believe)
3. Peter Kelly, FF (Longford)
4. James Bannon, FG (Longford)

Willie Penrose was the poll topper. Hopefully his seat is safe for 2012. The way I see it, this could play out in a number of ways.

• Mae Sexton fails to affect many voters plans, thusly no change.
• Peter Kelly keeps the 3rd seat, Mae Sexton divides the opposition vote making the 4th seat a 3 way race between Bannon, Sexton and an FF
• Sexton divides the Labour vote, without good vote management they could lose both campaigns. Hopefully Fine Gael and NOT Fianna Fail would benefit if this were to happen.
• Hopefully: My fellow Longfordians come to their senses and in the majority vote Bannon-Sexton. That would leave: 1 FF & Willie P. Labour in Westmeath and Bannon FG & Sexton Lab in Longford. This is the best case scenario.

anymore

steelcityblues wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0427/breaking21.html


I would like posters' thoughts on this.

Does a move like this comfirm that the nature of political expediency is too prevalent in Irish politics? An alternative view - Could it be a former TD of another party can have a genuine turn in philosophy to a party that her former colleagues would have frequently criticised through the Dail chamber, media, etc?

I would be more inclined towards the former, but what do ye think?

And why not ? Pat Rabbitte had no problem in transferring from Workers Party to Democratic left to Labour and the present leader was of course a Democratic Left man. In fact when was the last time Labour were led by a Labour person ?
And the PDS are actually not far removed from Labour !
M McDowell's spouse is of course a highly remunerated Professor who benefitted from the left wing benchmarking process - if the PDS were so right wing, then why they did support the manifestly unfair benchmarking process ?

Traumadoc

Sure Bill Tormey moved from Labour to independent labour to independent to fine gael.

http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=3633

anymore

Traumadoc wrote: »

Sure Bill Tormey moved from Labour to independent labour to independent to fine gael.

http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=3633

In my own constituency two councillors traneferred, one from FG to Labour, another from FF to FG. They obivously believe in nothing but themselves like the 99% of irish politicians.

steelcityblues

This is getting a bit desperate now! Jimmy Harte joins the 'gang'.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0506/labour.html

Who next? Bono?