Labour voted for austerity, Quinn tells members

Veteran Labour heavyweight Rúairí Quinn had a blunt message for rank-and-file party members angry at the Coalition’s austerity agenda: Blame yourselves, you voted for it.

In what was being seen as a widening of the divide between Labour’s five ministers and the rest of the party, Mr Quinn brushed aside criticism of the leadership, insisting that the Programme for Government had been backed by 90% of delegates at a special post-election convention two years ago.

After pleas by Labour ministers for a re-negotiation of the programme in the aftermath of the party’s humiliating showing in the Meath East by-election were publicly slapped-down by Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Fine Gael, Mr Quinn indicated that it was now off the agenda.

Dismissing criticism that Labour’s top brass had abandoned the party’s traditional values, the education minister insisted they were doing the members’ bidding.

“We are 25 months into government. We have a national government with Fine Gael. We are implementing a Programme for Government that the same Labour delegates voted for overwhelmingly just over two years ago.”

Mr Quinn would not be drawn on criticism by leading Labour backbencher Michael McNamara that all five of the party’s minister needed to be more forceful in government.

Referring to a possible shake-up of Labour’s top team that has been demanded by some in the party after its near wipe-out in Meath East, Mr Quinn said: “That is a choice that will be made by the Tánaiste, the leader of the Labour Party, in due time and I will respect whatever decision he makes.”

In a thinly-veiled rebuke to critics in the party, Mr Quinn told RTÉ: “After 14 years of frustrating opposition, when we saw this country’s prosperity damaged beyond all possibility, we are now trying to rebuild the country. You don’t do this overnight.”

He sidestepped demands by rebel party chairman Colm Keaveney, and other members of Labour’s ruling executive board, for a new delegate conference before the budget in October.

With the leadership believed to be jittery about allowing a public platform for dissent just weeks ahead of another bruising austerity drive — which has been brought forward due to eurozone fiscal harmonisation — some critics fear the conference could be postponed again to Apr 2014.

One senior Fine Gael source was even more dismissive than the Taoiseach over Labour’s pleas for a re-negotiation of the Programme for Government, stating: “Labour needs to remember exactly who won and who lost in Meath East before they start demanding things.”