Rabbitte remarks - Labour chief ponders the merits of FF

SHORT of tearing up the Mullingar accord with Fine Gael, Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte appeared in a TV3 television interview to hint that the post-General Election landscape might be different.

He refrained from spelling out exactly how it might change for Labour, except that it was imperative that the party be in government, and his intention was to lead it there.

For Mr Rabbitte what happens after the election is “another day’s work,” and he was pragmatic enough to admit that the Labour Party could achieve the changes it wants to bring about in coalition with Fianna Fáil.

What he avoided saying was if that happened he would be the leader, although he was positive that he had no intention of resigning as leader.

There can be no doubt that Mr Rabbitte is experiencing pre-election doubts, brought on, no doubt, by RTÉ’s “The Week In Politics” think-tank.

This was a focus group type study by American pollster Frank Luntz which showed conclusively that the popular choice would be Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach and the Labour leader as Tánaiste.

In other words, the most popular outcome in the looming General Election would be a Fianna Fáil and Labour coalition.

Up to now such an arrangement was anathema to him, and he has previously ruled participation with Fianna Fáil. The Mullingar Accord with the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was the provenance of ejecting the current majority partner in government.

What has changed since then was the Luntz study from which Mr Rabbitte emerged with the most positive response, and a very clear indication that he and Bertie Ahern were the undoubted choice of the floating voters.

Political providence demands he cannot ignore that, despite the fact he has said Labour would have more clout in government with Fine Gael.

He further added that Labour and Fine Gael worked extremely well in the 1994-‘97 government that laid the basis for the current economic affluence.

Although there were misgivings within the party about the Mullingar Accord, Mr Rabbitte convinced them of his strategy, which was adamantly against doing any deal with Fianna Fáil after the General Election.

After yesterday’s fudging of that issue, it would be very reasonable to assume that Mr Rabbitte has had second thoughts thrust upon him.

Given the extremely healthy condition of the economy, and the floating voter indications, he has much to consider.