Politicians must be accountable to law

THE latest attempt by the leader of the Labour Party to re-run the failed referendum on giving more powers to the houses of parliament of the 26 Counties is yet another attempt to subvert the democratic will of the people.

The two ruling parties in Leinster House must accept the result of the vote. The people exercised their franchise under secret ballot and the proposal was defeated.

The fact is the Irish people are aghast at any proposal to give more power to those in Leinster House.

The law is there for those who do not abide by it and if any politician breaks the law then he or she should be subject to it. In England those politicians who abused expenses were jailed — in Ireland that does not happen. No amount of new powers for the politicians will ensure there is no corruption in Irish public life.

For the Labour party leader to now say that the referendum will be re-run smacks of a creeping totalitarianism that seems to affect those with political power. Politicians cannot be trusted to police themselves.

They must be accountable like every citizen to the full rigours of the law.

Joe Lynch

Republican Sinn Féin

Ballinacurra

Weston

Limerick