Labour Members Forum February 15, 2012
Posted by irishelectionliterature in Irish Politics.trackback
Interesting post over at Maman Poulet about “The Labour Members Forum”
Where a communication entitled ‘Labour Members Forum’ contains the following…
A group of grassroots Labour members from a broad range of constituencies have come together to start a discussion about how we as members believe our party can deliver on the values of the Labour Party. We are organising a Labour Party Members’ Forum, “What can Labour do in government?” on Saturday 18th February in Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin. The Forum is aimed at grassroots members of the Labour party, to hear and debate alternative policy solutions to Ireland’s social and economic challenges.
The prelude to a split?
this will be a repeat of the green party, talking about various policies while trying to disassociate from the unnecessary anglo debt etc and the collosal issues of the financial crisis.
no split not in anglo debt years
I can foresee a lot of hand-wringing and a determination to “get the message of the grass-roots through to the leadership’…
But split?
Or even a strategy to try to pull the Labour Party out of coalition?
I just can’t see it.
Interesting enough line-up though.
Not quite a month since I wondered here “What is the nature of Labour’s dissent?” I don’t know enough about the party to even hazard a gauess about whether we’ll find out on Saturday, though. Has anybody seen the motions for the Labour Party’s conference? Would any of them constitute a game changer if passed?
I can’t see it myself – re a split. I think it’s more a rethink.
We will see a leakage of members from Labour, just as we see one from the Greens. Some of these will be from the handful who opposed the programme for government. Some will be people suffering buyers remorse on that front. More will be people who have less leftist reasons for disgruntlement, but who are pissed off by what will be seen as a disastrous and incompetent period in office.
I’d be extremely surprised if there was a remotely significant organised split in the near future however.
I’ve been told that one of the new Labour intake is close to breaking point having been pushed recently into defending wildly unpopular cutbacks in his constituency. It must be galling to work for years to get into the Dáíl and, once you’re there, find yourself being forced to beat up on the people who elected you. I’d say most of the younger Labour TDs can see what’s coming for them if this government lasts the full five years. Labour’s cabinet complement are all on the retirement, directorship gravy train, but things will be grimmer for the young ‘uns turfed out by the electorate. Better to get out now or soon. Of course, it’s pure political survival that’s driving this, not any political considerations or ideological concerns. It doesn’t, in any conceivable way, mark a ‘Left turn’ by Labour at either the grassroots or parliamentary party level. And, anyway, there are enough hacks on the Labour benches to ensure this government survives. Labour’s ‘conscience’, which I presume is the mantle these folk want to don, can be burnt off with upsetting the parliamentary balance. So, while it might provide some comfort to uneasy Labour members, the forum and a split, if it comes to that, won’t amount to anything substantial.
“It doesn’t, in any conceivable way, mark a ‘Left turn’ by Labour at either the grassroots or parliamentary party level.”
Quite so. While the line up looks ok, even the title isnt all that encouraging. It presupposes that the Labour Party’s place at this moment in time is in Government.
Article by Patrick Nulty criticizing the Finance Bill
http://patricknulty.ie/?p=976
They could do worse than formalize an anti-bailout, anti-austerity Labour Left current and engage with the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes. Talk and handwringing won’t send any message or exert any pressure to the leadership they are unhappy with. Organize and act.
Wrote a few rushed words to that effect on the blawg before campaign work this evening.
A source told us – 120 people were present, including at least two TD’s Patrick Nulty (no surprise) and Kevin Humphries TD (Dublin South-East) [not predicted]. Others may wish to add more detail.
Full Agreement with the elegantly-named Comrade Assandwich above
“They could do worse than formalize an anti-bailout, anti-austerity Labour Left current and engage with the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes. Talk and handwringing won’t send any message or exert any pressure to the leadership they are unhappy with. Organize and act”
And add : campaign against the EU-sponsored “Fiscal Compact” and support holding a referendum.
Yep, there was about 120 of us there. It was a very good, positive meeting, with the focus on articulating an ‘expansionary alternative’ as Michael Taft put it. Aside from Patrick and Kevin, Aodhan Ó Riordáin, Ciara Conway and Colm Keaveney were there from the PLP along with a good number of councillors. And Joanna Tuffy popped in just before the end.
For those of you on twitter, there’s a fair amount of discussion/comments on #labourmembers hashtag.
Had a look at the Twitter site, and there were some interesting comments there.
What happens next, Damian? The risk with yesterday’s conference is that it gave members some space to let off steam or get some stimulating policy ideas, but not much else.
Are there motions for the party conference that will refelct the ideas discussed? Will any of the TDs use the Dáil or the parliamentary meetings to try to get a change in the next budget?
That’s the million dollar question Tombotku. What happens next indeed.
Yesterday was great, but on it’s own it’s nothing.
As I said, the focus was on constructive alternatives. And Mary Murphy, Michael Taft, Tom Healy and others all outlined what those alternatives are, and how they could possibly be implemented within the set of constraints that are being imposed on us.
But that’s likely to come to nothing if there isn’t some sort of organised movement to advance and push those ideas within the party. And there was little or no discussion of that yesterday.
In some ways, yesterday was the the education. Now we need to agitate and organise.
I haven’t seen the conference motions but I hear that there’s a lot that would be in tune with yesterday. As for the TDs, well, we’ll see. I’d hope the ‘Plan B’ options will feed back up through the PLP.