Alan Kelly: ‘Labour should stay in opposition unless it doubles seats’

Labour should remain in opposition after the next general election, unless the party can at least double its Dáil seats to 15 TDs, Alan Kelly has insisted.

The TD’s comments come amid continuing grassroots concern that Labour’s support is stagnating and that the party is increasingly being overshadowed by Sinn Féin, and other rival left-leaning parties, such as the Social Democrats and Solidarity-People Before Profit.

Almost two years after Labour’s disastrous February, 2016 election — the 37 seats it won in 2011 slumped to just seven — Mr Kelly said he has an open mind on Labour potentially returning to power.