Labour Party to reform way it chooses its leader

The Labour Party is to reform the way it chooses its leader following controversy last year over the unopposed election of Brendan Howlin.

Current rules stipulate that candidates must be proposed and seconded by a TD in order to go before a full contest of wider party members.

Former minister for the environment Alan Kelly had wanted to run for leader but could not get a seconder within the parliamentary party. This meant Mr Howlin became leader without having to go before a full vote of rank-and-file members. Mr Howlin was the only candidate nominated and seconded by the parliamentary party.

As part of its rebuilding efforts Labour has undertaken a review of its constitution, with a new document expected to go before the party conference in Wexford next month.

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The new constitution will make it more difficult for the same situation that affected last year’s leadership contest to arise again.

“Our consideration of this point has not been guided by events of the past, but by a reflection on what might best serve the Labour Party into the future,” it says.

The party leader must still be a TD to “effectively lead” the party in “national debates”, the document says

However, the first proposed change is that the right to nominate and second a candidate for leader will be extended to Senators and MEPs .

An alternative method of nominating a candidate is also proposed, and a TD can go before a ballot of wider members if he or she gets nominated by five constituency councils of the party. These five councils would together have to represent 10 per cent of the total membership.

The position of deputy leader will be abolished.