‘Moral obligation’ to protest Bush visit, says Rabbitte

LABOUR Party leader Pat Rabbitte last night launched his strongest public criticism of US foreign policy, saying his party would launch a campaign of “disagreement” coinciding with the visit of President George Bush to Ireland in June.

In his opening speech at the Labour Party Conference in Dublin, last night Mr Rabbitte also made a detailed attack on the Government’s citizenship referendum proposals and sent a direct message to republicans on paramilitarism. It was “make your mind up time”, he said.

Mr Rabbitte said his party, along with Fine Gael and the Green Party, would call for the referendum to be deferred until after the local and European elections on June 11 and to have the proposed amendment referred to the All Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.