An independent woman in a world of yes men

NEXT month, Róisín Shortall could make political history.

No disrespect to Mary Harney and the Progressive Democrats, but if the Dublin North West TD is successful in her bid, the country may finally have a female leader of a major political party.

Although Ms Shortall says she's not asking the party membership to vote for her simply because she's a woman, she believes it's important a woman's perspective is seen in the male oriented political landscape.

"The style of politics that we have had over many years in Ireland has been a very macho style. You know, the kind of shadow boxing that we see on the floor of the Dáil, getting stuck in, opposition for opposition's sake. I think that leaves a lot of people cold. They see it for what it is. It's a performance. It's part of the drama that tends to be associated with Leinster House".

Wanting to see a different style of politics, she says politicians need to get away from the old boys' debating style.

"I would like to see a much more straight forward, honest and forthright type of politics where we can distinguish between the important things and the trivial. That you don't get angry or energised by every little thing - that you actually pick out the important things and provide strong opposition on those. This sense that opposition politicians are in there shouting for the sake of being seen to oppose on everything ends up not really meaning anything."

She says politicians are too inclined to follow whatever the current story in the newspapers is on any particular morning, meaning in many ways the agenda is dictated by the media.

"I want to see the Labour Party's agenda being dictated by the concerns of the people who support us, by the concerns of our member and by the real world issues that affect people in their everyday lives."

Issues like housing, fairness in the tax system fairness, substance abuse among young people, poverty and the general breakdown in society are what concern Ms Shortall, rather than being caught up with calling for a minister's resignation at the drop of a hat. Representing a predominantly working class urban constituency, she says she sees plenty of evidence of what's really affecting people's day to day lives.

"It's because there are places like Ballymun and Finglas, where there are major social problems that I am involved in politics. That's the driving force for me, but those kind of problems of inequality and obvious unfairness are issues that are as relevant in Ballymun as they are in Ballyhaunis or Ballybunion.

"I hope this isn't sexist, but I think women by and large have a greater understanding of the kind of issues that concern people in their ordinary lives. There is that other view that we don't have often enough in politics and I think it would be a very positive thing for women generally to have as a role model the leader of a major political party and I certainly think it would be a major step forward in terms of the Labour Party's ability to attract women members and women candidates."

Admitting that she's not part of the pro-choice wing in the party, Ms Shortall's strong anti-abortion views are not what you expect from a feminist who's proud to advance the cause of women in society.

Totally opposed to the controversial pro-choice stance adopted at the Labour Party conference last year, she said advocating abortion on demand is something she would find impossible to live with in the party.

"Abortion is a problem many Irish women encounter and by seeking to introduce abortion on demand is seeking to deal, in a misguided way in my view, with the consequence of unwanted pregnancy rather than the causes. Our emphasis has to be on tacking the reasons why so many Irish women end up with pregnancies that they don't want.

"The pro-choice view tends to say that this is a matter of women's rights. I think it is undeniable on an intellectual and an ethical level that there are two sets of rights involved there is the right of the woman and the right of the unborn child."

After growing up in a staunch Fianna Fáil family her father was director of election for former Minister George Colley she made a conscious decision to join Labour, and never considered any other party, as she says it was the only party that was capable of achieving social justice.

Implacably opposed to everything about Fianna Fáil, she completely rules out any prospect of a Labour Party led by her entering into coalition with Fianna Fáil for the foreseeable future.

Never afraid to take a stand, she opposed the coalition with Fianna Fáil in 1992 and the merger with Democratic Left in 1998 and has clashed with both Dick Spring and Ruairi Quinn over their leadership styles and decisions taken. Not wanting to say: "I told you so", she says in each case she was right as the FF coalition did untold damage to Labour and the merger with Democratic Left brought about no net gain and the political gap created has been exploited by Sinn Féin. Nonetheless, she says being independent-minded does not mean she couldn't be a team leader.

"I do think it's one of my strengths that I have the courage to call it as it is and when I think the party is going in the wrong direction, I'm not afraid to say that. I have to say that I, and people who are of a similar view within the Labour Party, have proven to be right.

"People don't elect politicians to be part of a mutual admiration society. We are not there just to pat each other on the back in the Labour Party. I want to see the Labour Party being a very strong force in Irish politics. That means taking the long-term view. It is not wishful thinking about wanting to see a Labour Party Taoiseach and talking about tearing into Fianna Fáil."

Under Roisin Shortall as leader, she says the Labour Party would represent a broad range of views and sectors in society.

"My starting point is fairness, whether that's in the taxation system or in access to education. Clearly we have a responsibility to the many thousands of people who are on the margins. People who are outside the loop and I want to work towards providing conditions whereby people have genuine opportunities," she says.

Although loathe to pass criticism of Spring or Quinn personally, she says the party has drifted away from roots over past 10 years with the leaders taking counsel from personal advisers and consultants instead of the party itself.

"I believe that a party leader must listen first and foremost to the parliamentary party because they are the people who are out working on the coalface. They have first hand experience of what the issues are among the public. I would like to have a very inclusive type of leadership.

"The mistake we have made in the Labour Party is that we haven't brought our experience from those constituencies back into Leinster House. We are inclined to pursue the issues that are seen to be important in the media rather than the issues that we are actually finding in our own constituencies. Because of that we have been seen to lose our edge and not to be as concerned about working class issues as other parties or independents."