Howlin in attack on Rabbitte’s strategy

SENIOR Labour Party TD Brendan Howlin last night made his most public and direct criticism of the electoral strategy pursued by leader Pat Rabbitte for the General Election.

The Wexford TD and Leas Ceann Comhairle contradicted two key points made by Mr Rabbitte in his analysis of a disappointing election performance.

The Labour leader accepted that the ‘Mullingar Accord’ benefited Fine Gael exclusively but disputed that the party would have fared better from a stand-alone policy. He also said the party had a fundamental problem with its brand.

But last night Mr Howlin disagreed with both points in a speech to his constituency party in Wexford.

“As I have always argued, I believe that we would have fared better with an independent strategy,” he said.

He said the link with Fine Gael meant Labour was forced into negative campaigning and opposing the Government, leaving it open to being perceived as ‘whingers’.

“We did of course present positive policies to the electorate, yet we were forced to define ourselves as being against the Government rather than in favour of those policies,” he said.

He argued against Mr Rabbitte’s view that Labour has a brand problem.

“Our values are clear and well known. The point has been made that we succeeded in attracting a greater share of the youth vote. It is an important point. It does not suggest a crisis of values.”

He said the party should no longer concentrate on who it will or won’t share power with, but should project its policies and play one larger party off against another. He claimed Labour could have wrung more concessions from Fianna Fáil than the Greens had, if it had entered negotiations.

“Our failure to positively, proactively engage in the business of government formation in the last 10 years has allowed the PDs to exercise undue power and influence in our society. Much of what is wrong with this country stems from that.”

Mr Howlin was one of a small number of TDs and Senators who opposed the Mullingar Strategy and was seen as Mr Rabbitte’s main rival in the parliamentary party. By accepting the Leas Ceann Comhairle position though, he seems to have ruled himself out of any leadership battle.