Howlin throws hat into Labour leadership ring

LABOUR deputy leader Brendan Howlin became the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the party leadership yesterday.

Announcing his candidacy, Deputy Howlin said he put his name forward to replace Ruairí Quinn after talking and listening to members of the party around the country.

Opposing what he described as an awful government which had deceived the electorate last May would be his priority as leader, he said.

Echoing one of Mr Quinn's mantras prior to the election, Deputy Howlin said the country needed to get rid of Fianna Fáil from government. He said he believed there were forces that could forge a left-led alternative.

"Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats were elected to office on the basis of a set of promises that were as deceitful as anything in the last 30 years of Irish politics. The basis of their government is a fraud from start to finish, and they deserve nothing but implacable opposition."

But achieving a change of government quickly would be just one of three key objectives for the next Labour leader.

"In the medium term, Labour faces both the opportunity and the challenge of forging new alliances on the broad left in Ireland, with a wide range of community, environmental and other groups, and with the broad mass of people, especially young people, who are alienated from politics by tainted political behaviour," he said. "In the longer term, we must set ourselves the goal of becoming the largest component in a left-led government."

The 46-year-old Wexford TD also contested the last leadership election and is currently the party spokesman on finance. During Labour's last term in government, from 1992 to 1997, he served as Minister for Health and Minister for the Environment. Stating that he hoped there would be other candidates in the leadership race, he said the election will be open and fair. The party membership wanted to a new leader, a mandate for change in its structures, in the way it communicates its values and in the way the party organises itself to fight democratic campaigns.

Nominations for the positions of leader and deputy leader close next Wednesday, September 18, and the party's nationwide ballot will elect . The entire party membership will elect a new leader by October 25 in a nationwide ballot.

Installed as favourite as soon as Mr Quinn announced his decision to step down, Deputy Howlin is still expected to face competition. Among the names mentioned to possibly go forward are Eamon Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte, Róisín Shortall and Willie Penrose.