Labour, SF battle on leftist platform

LABOUR and Sinn Féin intensified their battle over which is best placed to provide a left-leaning alternative last night — as more Fianna Fáil ministers jostled for position once Brian Cowen is replaced as leader.

With the general election campaign beginning to heat up, Gerry Adams accused Labour of arrogance, while Eamon Gilmore hit back saying Sinn Féin was readying to try and keep Fianna Fáil in power.

Sinn Féin president and Louth Dáil candidate Mr Adams insisted he could do a post-election deal with Labour as his party had negotiated a coalition with Ian Paisley’s DUP at Stormont.

But Labour leader Mr Gilmore brushed-off the overture, claiming the comment made it sound like Sinn Féin was “prepared to do a deal with Fianna Fáil”.

Hitting out after the Labour leader firmly ruled out a hook-up with Sinn Féin, Mr Adams said Mr Gilmore was acting as if the election was already a “done deal” with voters.

Mr Adams insisted his party wanted to be in Government and was able to cut compromises with others.

“When you can do business with Ian Paisley, you can do business with anyone.

“We’re involved in a historic compromise in the North which is actually functioning, so we know about the art of politics and the art of compromise,” Mr Adams told RTÉ.

Mr Gilmore pointed to the economic differences between Labour and Sinn Féin and said the first priority of the next government must be job creation, and secondly to improve the terms of the EU/IMF.

“We will have to change the bad deal Fianna Fáil have negotiated. We have to get Ireland out of the pawnshop,” he said. Mr Gilmore again warned he would put down a vote of confidence in the Government if the general election was not called by the end of the month.

Opinion within Fianna Fáil appeared to be hardening to try and delay the contest until after St Patrick’s Day, March 17.

As speculation mounted about who would replace Mr Cowen as leader after the election, Labour Affairs Minister Dara Calleary threw down a marker by stating the next leader should come from a new generation of Fianna Fáil.