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Labour party leader Alan Kelly

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  • 04-04-2020 12:32am
    #1
    jams100
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭


    Went under the news this.
    Probably because labour are now irrelevant. What a horrible man this fella is, just shows how much labour have dropped to have him as a leader. With a bit of hope he'll finish off labour for good. Thought Brendan howlin actually performed well in the 2020 election debates on tv. Anyone actually like him or think he's a good choice?


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    #2
    Phoebas
    Registered Users Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭Phoebas


    As we emerge from the Covid health crisis and enter the Covid economic crisis we're going to need a party that can represent workers, and is willing to do that in government not just by soundbites from opposition.

    This could be an opportunity for the Labour party to regain its relevancy. Not sure if Kelly is the man for the job, but he's closer to what's required now that AoR.


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    #3
    Seamai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭Seamai


    The only positive thing I can say about Kelly becoming leader is that given the alternative of Ó Riordaín (far too "woke" for his own good), he's probably the lesser of two evils.
    Kelly has never struck me as particularly bright, he won't do much to increase the party's vote share, I think it wont be too long before Labour is looking for another leader.


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    #4
    Ronan|Raven
    Registered Users Posts: 8,141 ✭✭✭Ronan|Raven


    A fine mahoc to the new dear leader!


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    #5
    Boggles
    Registered Users Posts: 39,725 ✭✭✭✭Boggles


    AK-47.

    FG stitched him up badly when they dumped Irish Water on him and he unwisely decided the tactic to use would be bully the country.

    Labour are done.


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    #6
    EmmetSpiceland
    Registered Users Posts: 10,595 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    A sad day for the party.

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



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    #7
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,293 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Ah but dont forget Power suits him.


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    #8
    Nigel Fairservice
    Registered Users, Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 2,197 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nigel Fairservice


    Alan Kelly doesn't have much of a likeability factor about him. I always though he came across as quite cold.


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    #9
    fly_agaric
    Registered Users Posts: 4,834 ✭✭✭fly_agaric


    Seamai wrote: »
    The only positive thing I can say about Kelly becoming leader is that given the alternative of Ó Riordaín (far too "woke" for his own good), he's probably the lesser of two evils.
    Kelly has never struck me as particularly bright, he won't do much to increase the party's vote share, I think it wont be too long before Labour is looking for another leader.

    Hard to decide which was worse really.

    He is a more typical Irish politician I think [with the good + bad that goes with that] as opposed to someone who I feel imbibes opinions and issues directly from social media/twitter + US & UK left wing talking points regardless of relevance to Ireland.


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    #10
    Kivaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭Kivaro


    Phoebas wrote: »
    As we emerge from the Covid health crisis and enter the Covid economic crisis we're going to need a party that can represent workers, and is willing to do that in government not just by soundbites from opposition.

    This could be an opportunity for the Labour party to regain its relevancy. Not sure if Kelly is the man for the job, but he's closer to what's required now that AoR.
    Most definitely this country needs a party to represent the workers of this country. However, Labour is not that party.
    If Labour adhered to their founding principles, they would have possibly achieved more seats than any other party at the last election .... due to the desire for change from FG/FF.

    But no, Labour unfortunately has gone in a different direction and are now seen more of a social welfare party. Labour is now the anti-labour party.
    They need a complete transformation for this view to change.


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    #11
    JohnnyFlash
    Registered Users Posts: 7,055 ✭✭✭JohnnyFlash


    Excellent choice. Kelly is articulate, intelligent, and a passionate social democrat.


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    #12
    jams100
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭jams100


    JohnnyFlash wrote: »
    Excellent choice. Kelly is articulate, intelligent, and a passionate social democrat.

    He seems quite cold and out of touch to me, my abiding memory of him will be this. Celebrating like a mad man when on the same day his party was decimated. Seems like a man of little substance and class.



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    #13
    Pedro K
    Registered Users Posts: 1,197 ✭✭✭Pedro K


    I'll never forget his cosying up to John Delaney. I think labour will regret appointing him as leader.


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    #14
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,681 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    They have joined FG, FF and SF to have such unlikable leaders...


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    #15
    RandomViewer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,191 ✭✭✭RandomViewer


    Alan Kelly or Aidan O Snowflake, Labour voters had very poor choice, Strange that Champagne Jack didn't throw his name in the ring.


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    #16
    ricero
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,348 ✭✭✭✭ricero


    My first party I voted for was the Labour party and I would of been a supporter back in the day. The way they betrayed their core voters and the disastorous leadership of Joan Burton finished it for me and my family. We all vote Sinn Fein now and im sure so do most of the old labour voters.

    Alan Kelly is an egomaniac and seems to me like a bit of a sociopath. Good riddance Labour.


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    #17
    jams100
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭jams100


    Pedro K wrote: »
    I'll never forget his cosying up to John Delaney. I think labour will regret appointing him as leader.

    Forgot about that actually, and Kelly couldn't see what was wrong with that. Insert facepalm emoji here


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    #18
    Ashleigh1986
    Registered Users Posts: 672 ✭✭✭Ashleigh1986


    A nothing leader for a nothing party .
    The Labour Party sold its soul a long time ago .
    They could hold their ard fheis in a telephone box on O'Connell street .
    " you reap what you sow " .... Bye bye labour


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    #19
    ChikiChiki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,950 ✭✭✭ChikiChiki


    mickdw wrote: »
    Ah but dont forget Power suits him.

    For that comment alone he should be consigned to the dustbins of history.

    He is definitely very far from traditional Labour values. Seems like using them as a platform for personal goals.

    The Kelly family are very powerful, make no mistake.


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    #20
    blackcard
    Registered Users Posts: 3,888 ✭✭✭blackcard


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    They have joined FG, FF and SF to have such unlikable leaders...

    What leaders would you like to see in each of the parties?


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    #21
    RandomViewer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,191 ✭✭✭RandomViewer


    blackcard wrote: »
    What leaders would you like to see in each of the parties?

    Pearce Doherty, John Mc Guinness and Twink


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    #22
    aw
    Registered Users Posts: 786 ✭✭✭aw


    Going against the grain here it seems, but with Kelly in charge Labour are now interesting to me, as an unaffiliated voter.

    I used to actively despise Labour in the Gilmore days when he bluffed and blustered his way to a huge number of seats by telling many what they wanted to hear regardless of implication or cost, EXACTLY as Sinn Fein have done now.

    The party did what they, and many others, saw as the right thing for the country during the downturn and I give them kudos for taking difficult decisions.

    The party has suffered two poor leaders, one broadly unpopular and one bland and uninspiring.
    Now they have a young leader, who is undoubtedly passionate and driven.

    I wish him well.


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    #23
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    I was a trade unionist all my working life and always voted Labour until 2011. The rot set in after the merger with Democratic Left in 1998. From that day Labour seemed to veer to the right and try to become a centre party rather than of the left. Then came the era of Gilmore and Rabbitte, Kelly reminds me a lot of Rabbitte, same sort of "I know all and you know fcuk all" attitude, I don't see Labour prospering under his leadership, in fact, if a government isn't formed and a second GE is called, I can see them being eclipsed completely.
    If however, they decide to throw their lot in with FG again, which I reckon Kelly will do, then the same fate awaits them.


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    #24
    Fann Linn
    Registered Users Posts: 7,778 ✭✭✭Fann Linn


    I'm glad Kelly got it purely for the reason that he won't support FF/FG.


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    #25
    Richard Hillman
    Registered Users Posts: 12,033 ✭✭✭✭Richard Hillman


    They didn't have much to chose from.

    Whatever about Alan Kelly himself, the general public see him as Toxic and a major part of the Labour who were in government. Then you have O'Riordan who is apart of the middle class left movement who hate the very people they traditionally represent.

    I have no idea what Kelly is trying to do but O'Riordan is trying to court a cohort that is loud but barely exists. Neither of them would be wooing white, straight, working class men. Of which there are a lot of.


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    #26
    RandomViewer
    Registered Users Posts: 6,191 ✭✭✭RandomViewer


    Richard Hillman wrote: »
    They didn't have much to chose from.

    Whatever about Alan Kelly himself, the general public see him as Toxic and a major part of the Labour who were in government. Then you have O'Riordan who is apart of the middle class left movement who hate the very people they traditionally represent.

    I have no idea what Kelly is trying to do but O'Riordan is trying to court a cohort that is loud but barely exists. Neither of them would be wooing white, straight, working class men. Of which there are a lot of.

    Labour HQ gave a sigh of relief when they heard Kelly won, trying to fit the 37 multiple gender toilets that O Snowflake wanted would have been nearly impossible.


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    #27
    jams100
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭jams100


    Fann Linn wrote: »
    I'm glad Kelly got it purely for the reason that he won't support FF/FG.

    He was in Government with Fine Gael already though? So if he says he won't support them now he is a hypocrite no?
    If he says he can no longer support them now then why didn't he walk out when he was in government with them?
    I do get that Labour had to make hard decisions at the time but Alan just seemed so out of touch with the average voter, he just has such a big ego, it's all about him...sure he's been desperate for the leadership for some time. Couldn't even garner the support to challenge Howlin for the leadership, suggests how unpopular he is even within the Labour party.
    I personally couldn't vote for any Labour candidate now he's leader, I couldn't even give them a transfer.


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    #28
    tayto lover
    Registered Users Posts: 51,652 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    Boggles wrote: »
    AK-47.

    FG stitched him up badly when they dumped Irish Water on him and he unwisely decided the tactic to use would be bully the country.

    Labour are done.

    A bad day for Labour with their selection of Kelly.
    He tried to bully people over the Water issues just like Phil Hogan did.
    Labour will hopefully suffer even more as a result of picking him as leader.
    He should be nowhere near the leadership. Bullies are detestable.


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    #29
    Fann Linn
    Registered Users Posts: 7,778 ✭✭✭Fann Linn


    jams100 wrote: »
    He was in Government with Fine Gael already though? So if he says he won't support them now he is a hypocrite no?
    If he says he can no longer support them now then why didn't he walk out when he was in government with them?
    I do get that Labour had to make hard decisions at the time but Alan just seemed so out of touch with the average voter, he just has such a big ego, it's all about him...sure he's been desperate for the leadership for some time. Couldn't even garner the support to challenge Howlin for the leadership, suggests how unpopular he is even within the Labour party.
    I personally couldn't vote for any Labour candidate now he's leader, I couldn't even give them a transfer.

    Exactly that. They went into Govt with Gilmore and ditched every commitment they made to their electorate and since then have got justifiably punished IMO.
    Time to now try and rebuild from bottom up. They have lots of ground to make up.


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    #30
    Marhay70
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭Marhay70


    Fann Linn wrote: »
    Exactly that. They went into Govt with Gilmore and ditched every commitment they made to their electorate and since then have got justifiably punished IMO.
    Time to now try and rebuild from bottom up. They have lots of ground to make up.

    Agreed but I don't see Kelly as the man to do that. Kelly is deeply unpopular among the constituency that Labour would hope to court and even if Labour's "reversion" to being a party of the left is genuine, I doubt if many people in that constituency would believe it with him as leader. I know I won't.
    Labour shot themselves in the foot time after time in 2011-2016 and lost all credibility with the electorate, if they continue this excursion into the land of PC Liberalism as portrayed by the likes of Bacik and O'Riordáin then the chances of them being accepted again as a party of the working man are nil.


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    #31
    Edgware
    Registered Users Posts: 5,875 ✭✭✭Edgware


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    They have joined FG, FF and SF to have such unlikable leaders...

    They all cant have a personality like Coppinger or Rich Boy.


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