anf forget completly about the court cases involving the anti iw crowd

Originally Posted by Northsideman

They have spent too much time listening to the pontifications of the likes of Fergus Finlay and not enough time actually out in the real world, knocking on doors in working class areas and LISTENING to folk. The are great at talking at folk and piss poor at listening and actually absorbing the messages of what is happening on the ground and effecting peoples lives. Or maybe the just don't care.

Until they grasp this they are irrelevant except to those do gooders who can afford to vote for them and they'll soon move on elsewhere.

Finlay is a pain in the ass from a comfortable background and is one of our highly paid Charity CEOs ,we need to listen and get out on the streets and meet people ,a huge mountain to climb but it can be done.
Drop the mass immigration and so called multi cultural policys(and I know all the other parties promote these policies as well ,especially SinnFein) and that's just for starters.

What is Labour's long term prospects?
An old parliamentary party (where Sherlock and Kelly are the exceptions). But all of them have been staunch supporters of Enda Kenny (and will struggle to their voices)
Soc Dems stealing their credibility while SF/FF take their votes
Union money under threat
Sold HQ
They are pitied and despised.
They are closer to John Redmond than James Connolly.

Originally Posted by peader odonnell

Well here's a Labour Lass who voted No to Homosexual Marraige and who told the local branch they would get ************************ all thanks for promoting "The greatest human rights issue of our time(sic)-, Eamonn Gilmore,.
We need to cop on a little and realise that these things don't win votes.

One vote on SSM is not going to screen out five years of failure, lying & deceit in Government,

Originally Posted by Congalltee

Union money under threat.

They weren't getting huge sums of money from the unions - I believe they got around 100K in total for the 2011 GE.

Fact is that the LP and the unions appear to have a close link when it suits them. Both have one thing in common - they have sold their members down the drain regardless of what sector they work in.

The LP supported the legislation which they and FG introduced to cut funds from the unions.

They are a right wing party masquerading as left wing.

Labour has always bounced back while in opposition, however this time around they will have to get through SF and a raft of left leaning and outright left Independents.
The two and a half party system is dead, and Labour are screwed.

Originally Posted by Congalltee

What's wrong with die-hard Labour supporters?

Whatever about not being able to take a beating, the ones I have read seem to think:-
- the electorate were ungrateful for their "achievements" (including allowing the Irish people take part in a referendum).
- they are entitled to not be part of the next government (while lecturing other parties about their duty)
- they don't see anything wrong with a left wing party (which they see themselves as) voting in the Dail to re-elect a Christian Democratic leader.
- none of their new TDs were re-elected and they've been left with the sad seven survivors, but they still see themselves as progressive.
- many seem to want to boycott the 1916 commemoration and don't see themselves as republican in any way (not Irish Republican but actually valuing being in a republic and what is should stand for).


Is the party too middle class?
Has the trade union money blinded them to danger of careerists like David Begg, rather than the needs of trade union members (and those who wish they could have the benefit of such representation eg zero hour contractors, casualisation of workforce).
Are they too close to the obnoxious crew in Fine Gael?
Arrogance a la Alan Kelly?
The reverse takeover with Gilmore/Rabbite not even standing after forcing the young TDs to stick with their pension enchanting programme for government?


Just what is wrong with them?

All of the above apart from Allan Kelly, who is just an individual and doesn't really count for very much in the grand scheme of things, but always siding with FG, Ireland's most right wing party for which there was never any logical reasoning, was and always has been their greatest political mistake and at the same time the clearest statement of their lack of political principle.

Originally Posted by RobertW

They weren't getting huge sums of money from the unions - I believe they got around 100K in total for the 2011 GE.

Fact is that the LP and the unions appear to have a close link when it suits them. Both have one thing in common - they have sold their members down the drain regardless of what sector they work in.

The LP supported the legislation which they and FG introduced to cut funds from the unions.

They are a right wing party masquerading as left wing.

100k is huge - just ask the Soc Dems. How do cleaners, bus drivers, technicians feel about their union dues contributing to this party, replacing Tom Johnson house with a lease in an IFSC penthouse?

They had the same problem as FG had in 2002 and FF in 2011, when the tide went out, a lot of their prominent TDs decided to retire. Gilmore retiring cost them a seat in Dun Laoghaire and most likely, Rabitte would have been elected in SW. They were part of an unpopular govt and got no thanks for doing what they said they would do - protecting the ps and welfare dependents from FGs preference for more spending cuts. They need to do what they have done in the past, revive constituency organisations and get new candidates in place for the next local elections.

Originally Posted by peader odonnell

Finlay is a pain in the ass from a comfortable background and is one of our highly paid Charity CEOs ,we need to listen and get out on the streets and meet people ,a huge mountain to climb but it can be done.
Drop the mass immigration and so called multi cultural policys(and I know all the other parties promote these policies as well ,especially SinnFein) and that's just for starters.

they have a disproportionate level of support amongst quango , academic and media types , this leaves them prone to being out of touch with how the average person thinks or prioritises