Rugby star to line out for Labour in poll

THE Labour Party is hoping that the man who dragged half the English team over the try line at Twickenham in 1982 will deliver a huge heave to the party’s fortunes in Limerick.

Irish rugby legend, Gerry “Ginger” McLoughlin yesterday donned the red jersey of Labour on Limerick City Council, as he moved from the independent seat that he won in the last local elections.

Welcoming him, party leader Pat Rabbitte said: “It is not the first time Gerry had togged out in the red jersey and I have no doubt he will be as distinguished in this red jersey of the Labour Party as he was on days like in 1978 when helped Munster defeat the All Blacks at Thomond Park.”

The new Labour councillor said he emigrated to Wales in 1987 with his family and, on his return, found Limerick awash with money, a huge amount of which was being wasted.

Mr McLoughlin said: “I believe social exclusion measures have been a failure and I will do my best to influence the Labour Party in government to take on board some of my ideas. To join the party means a new light opening up for me.”

Mr Rabbitte agreed that Limerick had areas with multiple disadvantages.

He said: “Tackling educational disadvantage is the main plank to the problems of multiple disadvantage.”

Despite the party’s slump in the most recent opinion poll, Mr Rabbitte said he was not going he was not going to take an “each-way” bet on choosing a party other than Fine Gael to form the next government.

He said: “I don’t think it is a healthy thing in a democracy that we have the same party in power permanently. Too much of the decision-making is being made by a small group of people on the inside track.

“I don’t think then it is credible for me to lead with conviction and saying there needs to be a change in government and then say I would put them back into office after the next election. I don’t think that is consistent. I have made my view known. The people know there is an alternative, a credible alternative.”

Jan O’Sullivan, the party’s spokeswoman on education, praised Mr McLoughlin’s work on the city council.

She said: “He shares my view that the Government is not doing what should be done and condemns the government party representatives in this constituency for not getting what was required.

“When problems in Moyross were highlighted, we heard a whole lot about the attention the area should have been getting for the past nine years, while huge wealth was being built up.”

Labour now has five of the 17 members on Limerick City Council and forms the second biggest grouping in the county.