Alan Kelly , Labours Lost Leader

subpar

Having watched and listened to Alan Kelly at the Public Accounts Committee Hearings over the last few weeks , have to say he has been very impressive and the committee's most outstanding member. Labour have made a big mistake in removing him from the leadership of the party.

JPCN1

Labour are finished. He didn't help himself when he was there and Bacik has proved immeasurably worse.

EchoIndia

He revels in any big controversy and deploys his standard "I don't know what ye lads are at" analysis. It was never really clear why he jumped as quickly as he did from his position as party leader - a real bloodless coup.

He can be a bit gruff and contrary but he was the best hope they had. Replacing him was madness.

Odhinn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304947/alan-kelly-labours-lost-leader

I'd say you were right. Batshit doesn't inspire at all, at all. AK seemed far more driven and charismatic, and was quite capable.

Augme

He was Labour leader for two years and made no in-roads on improving their popularity. His political career was pretty much done after is car crash interview about power being s drug and how is role model was Frank Underwood from House of Cards.

He was has too much of a stench of old Labour under Burton. Labour needed a clean slate from that era and to look forward.

Vizzy

I had the displeasure to have dealt with him on numerous occasions. He doesnt have the nickname AK47 for nothing.

To sum him up he is Michael Healy Rae, but with a more understandable accent.

prunudo

Can't remember why now, but at the time he did or said some things that made me dislike him more and more with every interview of his I heard.

ZookeeperDub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304947/alan-kelly-labours-lost-leader

He was best as well at the opening of the new government. He was stuck with the left overs after teh usual Irish reaction to a small party in government

One eyed Jack

If he were any sort of a leader, he’d still be a leader. No point in saying he’s a lost leader when he’s already had a bite of the cherry and couldn’t deliver-

https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40820349.html

Faugheen

He was always a good performer in Parliament be it in the Dail or at the Committees.

As others have said, he was too much of the old Labour to really make an impact.

Mind you so is Bacik.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847654#Comment_120847654

What's New Labour? PBP, Aontú, SDs, Greens or Shinners?

There was and still is a Labour vote - middle of the road, liberal but left leaning, ordinary decent people. That covers a good bit of Irish society, all they have to figure out is how to catch it and offer themselves as an alternative voice to the FF/FG Hobson's Choice. Coalition was very damaging for Labour. No convinced by Bacik, pretty invisible.

Galwayguy35

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847282#Comment_120847282

Well if they needed a clean slate to look forward then electing Bacik didn't make a lot of sense.

SF is going to steamroll over them in the next GE, its anyones guess who will survive.

Galwayguy35

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847712#Comment_120847712

I think the SDs will hoover up a lot of votes from that group of voters who would be well educated and left leaning.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847712#Comment_120847712

I can't imagine Aontú will be picking up many votes from many middle of the road left leaning ordinary decent people....

Economics101

Trouble is all the pointy-headed Irish Times types dominated the Labour Party too much and they lost a good old-fashioned street fighter. Very few intellectuals in Ireland make good successful politicians.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120847767#Comment_120847767

I dunno - Pollys People are Johnny Come Latelys, no real sense of tradition or consistency there, they could be anything.

There is a large block of left of centre voters and FF, FG and Labour all more or less aim to appeal to same in varying ways. Up to Labour to catch more of it, they have history & tradition and the name.

Gooser14

He likes to hear himself talking. He didn't impress me at all. I can't understand why he is looking for data/records going back 20+ years.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304947/alan-kelly-labours-lost-leader

He tried to hock Irish Water/water privatisation to people on behalf of Fine Gael. Kelly made his bed when he agreed to shill for that and, basically, reaped what FG sowed for him. I don't think the man has any real political sensibilities or convictions beyond what a position in politics can do for him personally.

Don't think Labour made any mistake WRT Kelly. Not that it would make much of a difference to the party anyway because they are, deservedly, in the wilderness right now. If you lie down with dogs you get fleas.

tayto lover

An arrogant buffoon who tried to bully people into paying the Water Tax. No time for him.

Foxhound38

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058304947/alan-kelly-labours-lost-leader

They were idiots for booting him and just not working with him when he was in charge. Tarred by his time in the austerity coalition as he was, he is still by far their most talented elected politician (with the exception of the President I suppose) and was the only hope they had (whatever slim) of coming back from the brink. But he was too mucksavage and uncouth for the winebars most of their headquarters frequent so he had to go. As soon as Bacik won her election (something they have been trying and failing for her to do for nearly two decades) his days were numbered, and now so are those of the Labour Party who are about to get utterly crushed between SF and the Soc Dems. The longest suicide of a political party in Irish history.

Nigel Fairservice

He is very much lacking in likeability. It's not the most important quality in a leader but it helps.

Foxhound38

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852254#Comment_120852254

To be fair, how many other Party leaders or even TD's would you reckon are "likable" at the moment? Besides, not that I'd particularly relish the idea of having a pint and a chin-wag with any of them, but I would absolutely choose Kelly over Bacik in that department although I grant that's not saying much.

Nigel Fairservice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852280#Comment_120852280

In terms of the point I made about Alan Kelly I would separate out the likeabilty of the leader as an individual from the likeability of the party. I know for a lot of people these would go hand in hand. If Labour were in power and had introduced many progressive policies I probably still wouldn't be too fond of Alan Kelly on a personal level. Others might think he's great then because of that link to the Labour Party and their polices.

zell12

As Minister for Housing/Environment, he said the State would de everything it could to help people regarding housing. Well, turns out it didn't by the time it left office in 2016. https://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2015-11-03a.383#g388