Alan Kelly: Labour won't rule out merger with Social Democrats

Labour Party leader Alan Kelly, with TDs Rebecca Moynihan and Duncan Smith, talking to the media at the Labour think-in at the Clanard Court Hotel, Athy, Co Kildare. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Alan Kelly said Labour would not rule anyone out or in as the party “builds” towards the next election.

Labour's two-day think-in began in Athy, Co Kildare on Monday, with the party currently sitting at 5% in the latest opinion polls.

“I know we're on 5%, but we've been on 5% now consistently, we were lower than that so we've reached the natural phase and we intend to push forward our policies,” Mr Kelly said.

Any politician or any political leader who says they don't look at polls isn’t telling the truth.

“Of course we all know, we know we have a lot of work to do. And in the by-election we've demonstrated what we can do. We're a party that's organised all over the country. We've had excellent public representatives everywhere.” 

Mr Kelly said the party would be pushing its policies to try and increase that percentage substantially over the coming months, not just this term but into next year.

When it was put to Mr Kelly that his party should merge with the Social Democrats, he said he would not rule anything out.

We'll be concentrating on ourselves today, we want to push on with our agenda, and whoever wants to join us. Come join us. If they apply at any time, we look at it.” 

The party, who came from behind to win the Dublin Bay South by-election, has just one female TD in Ivana Bacik, and Mr Kelly said the party would continue to build on that, noting three of Dublin’s mayors are female Labour councillors.

The leader also dismissed any claims that Labour’s last time in government could haunt it in the future, saying it had been “over 10 years” since its last stint in power. 

He said he would not rule any party out or in, with regards to coalition governments in the next election.