Labour has proud record of propriety

Maurice Fitzgerald’s letter about the Labour Party (Apr 18) is an outrageous falsehood.

Many parties in this country have disgraced themselves by supporting murder, taking bribes and exchanging destructive planning decisions for political support. Labour is not one of them.

The Mahon Tribunal may have found that one former Labour councillor took inappropriate payments, but what Mr Fitzgerald has conveniently forgotten is that the same councillor was drummed out of the party by his colleagues, as soon as any suspicions were raised over his behaviour.

In fact, my party expelled him four years before the Mahon Tribunal was even created.

Further, the final report commended our former leader, Minister Pat Rabbitte, who refused the offer of money from Frank Dunlop, and our current leader, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, who refused a cheque from Monarch developers.

Our deputy leader Joan Burton, as a member of Dublin County Council at the time, was a vocal opponent of the Quarryvale rezoning, as were many of her colleagues.

Labour’s proud history of propriety stretches all the way back to May 28 1912 in my home town of Clonmel where the party was founded.

Phil Prendergast MEP Ireland

South Clonmel

Co Tipperary