Party members angry at Labour fall
Only around 100 people were at the Labour Party leadership hustings in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork, last night, a turnout described by some sources as quite disappointing.
Many of the delegates, who included noticeably few young faces, expressed their anger and frustration at how the party had crashed in the recent elections.
Pat Morrissey, a delegate from the Cork South West constituency, said he was delighted at the last general election that Labour got its first TD elected there after a wait of 34 years. However, then he stuck the boot in. “For the first time I was very reluctant to go out and canvass [in the recent local elections]. Labour voters told me their vote was not there. We’ve lost our way completely. Communication is non-existent between the top and the grassroots,” Mr Morrissey said to loud applause.
Delegate Liam Heffernan said if Dick Spring was still in charge of the party it would never have been allowed to become so unpopular.
Dan Galvin from Tralee said the Labour Party needed to adopt “a policy which looks towards equality and fairness”.
Deputy Michael McCarthy told the meeting: “I’m sick of our ministers being pushed out to defend Fine Gael. I can tell you that won’t happen any more.”
Ms Burton said that she understood the party had a lot of difficulties in Cork and rebuilding its membership is a major priority.
She said the Cork meltdown was a symptom of a sweeping surge against the party.
After the meeting, the party’s only Cork-based senator, John Gilroy, said it was a bit early to panic, but he had a real concern for Labour’s future when it had lost so many good representatives.
