Gilmore in leadership race

EAMON GILMORE entered the Labour leadership race yesterday by declaring he wants to be the first Labour Taoiseach.

The Dun Laoghaire TD said he wanted to haul Labour out of the third place in Irish politics to make it the main alternative to Fianna Fáil.

"I think for a leader of the Labour Party to aspire to anything less is to consign Labour to the status of the permanently also-ran," Deputy Gilmore said. Asked how he intended to do this when Dick Spring, who was the most successful Labour leader to date, failed, Deputy Gilmore said: "When Labour is confident about itself and Labour puts forward a confident message, the people will respond