Rabbitte wants to ban Labour rebels from running for party

Labour Party councillors who have jumped ship and resigned should not be allowed to run for the party in the next general election, a senior Cabinet minister has warned.

Just days ahead of the party’s conference in Co Kerry, Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Pat Rabbitte said he believed a political party couldn’t be run without discipline and its members must stick together during difficult times.

“Personally I think you can’t run a party without some discipline and some allegiance to the principles of the party and some solidarity and collegiality when you’re in difficult times”, said the minister echoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s “perfectly clear” decision to stop Fine Gael rebel TDs from standing for FG in the next general election.