Brendan Howlin labours under rising pressure

Brendan Howlin does not need to be overly spooked by the calls for his head just now, writes Daniel McConnell.

“Nobody is happy with the poll ratings,” one Labour TD told me yesterday.

Responding to the call from a fifth party councillor,

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Ms Genockey is the latest to call on Brendan Howlin to give up the leadership in order to “re-energise” the party, which has seen poll ratings languish at sub-10% continuously.

Four other Labour councillors, Pamela Kearns and Mick Duff from South Dublin County Council, Noel Tuohy of Laois, and Kerry’s Terry O’Brien, called on Mr Howlin to step down earlier this month. Mr Touhy said the party risks becoming “totally irrelevant as a political force” unless a change occurs. Ms Kearns echoed his calls, saying “only a change of leadership and a fresh approach can unite the party and achieve the momentum we need to move forward”.

In her statement, Ms Genockey said she largely agreed with a group of 16 Labour councillors who last week issued a statement in support of Mr Howlin, but she did say a leadership contest would do some good.

The gripe is that the party is flailing, going nowhere fast, and led by a reluctant leader who gives a strong impression he still thinks he is in government.

From Mr Howlin’s point of view, criticisms such as these from five out of 51 councillors is not yet a crisis, but he does need a break.

He has little from his term as leader to point to, with many in the party saying it needs good local and European elections to begin the recovery.

His defenders have rallied to the cause, saying the discussion about the leadership is interfering with the ordinary business of trying to win seats at the next election.

He does not need to be overly spooked by the calls for his head just now. These are five councillors and there is no evidence to date to show this is being orchestrated by one of his likely rivals within the parliamentary party.

Tipperary TD Alan Kelly has previously said he was giving Mr Howlin six months to turn the situation around, but he too has distanced himself from any potential heave.

There is an increased sense that senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin aspires to be leader, but his return to the Dáil would have to happen first and there is no guarantee of that.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Mr Ó Ríordáin has form as he was part of the rump of new TDs in 2014 who moved against Eamon Gilmore after the disastrous local and European elections which precipitated his resignation.

As long as the grumblings remain among councillors, then Mr Howlin has nothing to worry about. But should one of his TDs or senators join the chorus, the reluctant leader could quickly find himself under pressure.