Simon Harris, the incoming leader of the Fine Gael party and Taoiseach, has been met with criticism from Labour’s Ged Nash, comparing him to a “loud but clueless dog in hot pursuit”. During the party’s two-day national conference, Nash dismissed Harris’s capabilities, arguing that Harris showed no signs of having the right vision during his tenure as a minister.
Nash, the party’s spokesperson on financial matters, criticised the current government for prioritising economic growth alone as an indicator of prosperity, stating that wellbeing can’t be ensured by impressive GDP figures alone.
Nash also cast doubt on Harris’s proficiency, especially in light of his active presence on social media platforms, remarking that Harris, dubbed as ‘TikTok Taoiseach’, will only make superficial changes. These comments were given during debates concerning housing, transport and rights of workers.
Ivana Bacik, the party leader, echoed Nash’s sentiments, depicting the present coalition as losing confidence in itself and facing an increasing amount of resignations. She addressed members saying “Indeed, a week is a long time in politics, more than ever proven true this week.”
Bacik depicted the current coalition as a faltering entity, scared of progress and clinging onto power even when it expels its own members. She warned against their kind of politics, where in face of far-right violence, they tend to look away.
She concluded that upcoming elections present an unprecedented chance to establish a sustainable society and guarantee housing for all.
The lady, alleging that the Government was merely “playing around” with issues rather than attempting to bring about change, emphasised that this was an incorrect approach. She highlighted Labour’s transparency and commitment, stating that they stand by what they say. She affirmed that Labour sticks to its fundamental principles, instead of yielding to pressure from vested interests or pandering to populist causes. Also, Labour doesn’t play to the tune of any other political parties.
The former state minister Emmet Stagg, who had passed away, was again applauded for his unyielding resolve to provide public housing on public land during his tenure as housing minister.
Questions about Labour contesting Mr Harris’ capacity to connect with the younger generation via social media were directed towards Mr Nash. In response, he talked about Labour’s “energetic young members” who understand and respond to the party’s ideals. He expressed how people had grown weary of Fine Gael’s 13-year reign, cricising their inability since 2016 to convert economic victories into social advancements seen elsewhere in the EU. He added that Mr. Harris should accept a significant portion of the blame.
Taking an assertive stance, he upheld that Labour holds a much higher position than the 3-5% range indicated by various polls. He stated the party would present a “robust challenge” to opponents in 15-17 constituencies in the upcoming general elections. Boasting of a 55-member strong council team, he expressed optimism about securing at least one seat in the European Parliament.
About the rising competition with the Social Democrats who are seen to inhabit the same left-wing space, Mr Nash stated that the sitting TDs from both parties were not competing in the same constituities. He even suggested that the two parties, in numerous ways, were actually complementing each other.
He also expressed his belief about the decline in Sinn Féin’s appeal, citing a “muddled” stance on issues like immigration and drug decriminalisation due to a wide range of differing interests.
With the local and European elections looming on June 7th and the general election scheduled for next year, Labour is determined to invigorate its members. It has shortlisted close to 110 candidates for the local elections, tying with the number from 2019, and aims to raise the count of local authority members from the current 55.
Labour expressed confidence in its expansive organisational capability across the nation, which other left-leaning parties like the Social Democrats reportedly lack.
Aodhán Ó Riordáin, the Dublin Bay North TD, has been announced as the Dublin European election candidate for the Labour Party. His campaign was officially inaugurated last Friday evening. Niamh Hourigan, a sociologist from Limerick, has been chosen as the candidate for Ireland South. The representative for Midlands-North West is still to be decided. The party does not currently have any MEPs.
Around 90 proposals are set to be debated over the weekend, including strategies to boost housing availability and to encourage city-centre living. Climate action suggestions featuring in the discussions include the foundation of a State-owned retrofitting firm to hasten energy-efficiency enhancements for council housing.
A monthly “climate transport ticket” costing €9 has been put forward to deter car usage and contribute to Ireland’s climate goals. There is also a motion for the Labour Party to create a law making threats and abuse towards public-facing staff, particularly in retail and healthcare, a specific public order crime.
A wide-ranging proposal relating to the Gaza conflict calls for the Government to publicly back the genocide case against Israel, which South Africa is pursuing in the International Court of Justice.
On the eve of the conference, Ivana Bacik, the party leader, reiterated her demand for a general election. “We are determined that there needs to be a revolutionary shift in Government. We’re unequivocally calling for a general election now. We’re seeing increasing chaos in the Government currently and don’t view this as an opportunity for a leadership transition in Fine Gael,” she said.
The recent decision by Mr Varadkar to step down “unquestionably reflects a lack of faith in his own Government, and we firmly believe that the time has come for the Irish public, not Fine Gael members, to elect the country’s leader for the challenges we face,” Bacik added.