Labour grassroots must approve any deal with FG

WHILE Eamon Gilmore has moved to tighten the leader’s grip on Labour, he must still get any coalition deal approved by his party’s grassroots.

Though accused by some critics on the left of centralising power since succeeding Pat Rabbitte in 2007, there is still a delegate lock on a programme for government.

Mr Gilmore does not have to convene a special meeting of his expanded parliamentary party — which has grown from 21 to 36 — to endorse any agreement with Fine Gael, but he must hold a delegate conference.

Given his dominance over his Dáil colleagues, Mr Gilmore would in any event be confident of their solid support, especially as so many of the senior members of the party are approaching the end of their shelf-life for political power and realise this is probably their last shot at Government, while most of the new intake are too inexperienced to put up much of a fight if they were so inclined.

The special delegate convention could throw-up more of an obstacle as Mr Gilmore will want the strongest possible endorsement of a deal.

Some 1,000 delegates selected by local party branches will attend the conference, expected to be held in Dublin this weekend.

Mr Gilmore will address the gathering, and delegates will be allowed to speak as the timeframe allows.

Delegates will then vote on a single declaration either backing or rejecting the programme for government in full, with no room for amendments or votes on particular policy areas. Some 10% of the votes cast will be by the trade union block affiliated to Labour.

The Greens managed to get 86% backing for their agreement with Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fáil after the 2007 election — despite failing to secure any real concessions from the major coalition partner.

That failure led to a stream of defections as the troubled partnership wore- on until the Greens were wiped out at the polls.

Labour has an unhappy history of being punished by electors after being in power with Fine Gael and will want to ensure its record strength translates into policy achievements.

Unfortunately for Labour, Fine Gael is also in its strongest position ever and will drive a hard bargain.

Labour would ideally like the key post of finance minister, but privately concedes it has only ever achieved that once — during the Rainbow government of the mid-1990s — and may have to forgo it in return for six rather than five of the 15 cabinet posts.