Burton’s opportunity to restore Labour

THE overwhelming victory of Joan Burton as the first woman to lead the Labour Party has cleared the decks for the new tánaiste to take on the daunting task of resuscitating Labour’s flagging political fortunes.

So unpopular is the party today that its abysmal rating in recent opinion polls saw its popularity plummet to 4%, an all-time low since its foundation in 1912.

In stark contrast to its highest ever result of 19% in the last general election, its demise was heralded in the recent local elections performance of 7%. Essentially, Labour has suffered the all-too-familiar fate of a minority party in a coalition government with a whopping Dáil majority.