FG/Labour coalition opponents pledge 'vigorous' debate - Irish Times

Killer Pigeon

Labour coalition opponents pledge debate

DEAGLÁN de BRÉADÚN, Political Correspondent

Opponents of a coalition agreement with Fine Gael have promised a “vigorous” debate on the issue at the special conference of the Labour Party that is expected to take place on Sunday.

Jimmy Kelly, regional secretary of Unite, the second largest union affiliated to the Labour Party; two Labour councillors; and the chair of the party’s youth wing expressed their joint opposition to a deal during a press conference in a Dublin hotel.

Mr Kelly said if Labour went into opposition it could head up a total of 60 TDs who were opposed to a Fine Gael government from a left-wing standpoint.

Labour had an historic opportunity to become the official opposition in the Dáil, leading a greatly expanding parliamentary left, he said. The Irish people could be presented with a real alternative to what he characterised as Fine Gael’s programme of austerity, privatisation, and income cuts.

A minority Fine Gael government would be unstable and wouldn't last the full term, according to Mr Kelly. He claimed that the prospect of a left-led government within two to three years would be very real and very welcomed.

Fingal Cllr Patrick Nulty said it was an “historic election” that brought a “huge breakthrough” for the Labour Party but he did not believe that entering a government "dominated by Fine Gael” was in the best interests of the people or the country. Labour should lead the opposition, he said. “On Sunday, that’s the argument I will be making.”

Fingal Cllr Cian O’Callaghan from the Howth-Malahide electoral area said there would be “very strong, vigorous and healthy debate” on any proposed coalition deal. He said a lot of party members were adopting a “wait and see “ attitude, pending the publication of an agreement.

Labour Youth chairman Colm Lawless said a Fine Gael party with 76 TDs would not allow Labour enough “leverage” to have real influence on the issues. He contrasted the balance of forces in 1994 when Labour and Democratic Left were “nearly equal partners” with Fine Gael.

It was a “betrayal” of Labour’s electorate to allow a “discredited” Fianna Fáil to lead the opposition in the forthcoming Dáil.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0304/breaking38.html

Further to this however, I can confirm that SIPTU are for the FG/Labour coalition, unlike Unite The Union.

Killer Pigeon

.... cool story bro ....

Jumpy

Did you just CSB yourself?

Brenireland

Chances are this government will collapse within months,Both party's are desperate to get into government but when the realities hit home the policies will indeed be put under extreme pressure,leading to Labour doing a Green Party on it and pulling out which is not what is needed for the republic.

Killer Pigeon

Jumpy wrote: »

Did you just CSB yourself?

Ooops, it would appear so. I've got a short memory you see - forgot I started this thread.