Labour ‘does not have time for navel gazing’

Siptu president Jack O'Connor has said the Labour Party does not have time to indulge in navel gazing and that it would be better if there was consensus over who should be leader.

“We don’t think we have the time to indulge in navel gazing for 45 days, talking to ourselves when it is necessary to address the issues affecting the country,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.

Members of the Labour parliamentary party, which includes five senators, have been pressing Brendan Howlin to stand for leadership of the party.

Alan Kelly is making a pitch over the heads of his Dáil colleagues and toward rank-and-file party members in his bid to succeed Joan Burton.

The seven TDs are to meet, and nominations for the leadership, with the party membership as the electorate, will close on Friday.

Mr O’Connor said although he had a preference, he was not going to say who it was as he did not have a mandate from Siptu to express an opinion.

Mr O'Connor also said although he is a member of the Labour Party, "contrary to public perception I'm not a member of the National Executive Council.

“What defines the Labour Party is that we have always put the people first. We did so in 1918 which sidelined us in the history of this country, we didn’t contest that election, and repeatedly went into government when it would have suited us from an electoral point of view far far better to stay out, but the consequence for working people and civil society would have been unconscionable.

“We have a unique situation in the country now and need to be addressing that rather than playing politics. Unique because we’re in a situation . . . where we can actually achieve the core elements of a social democratic society, and we can achieve them by the centenary of the founding of this State in six years’ time if we apply ourselves.”

Mr O’Connor said the core elements were the elimination of poverty, a right to a home for everyone, a fully accessible national health service and decent jobs for all.

The Siptu boss said he had not specifically called for Labour and the Social Democrats to merge.

“To achieve the objective of achieving core elements of a socially democratic society a political force must be put in place to bring it about.

“I’ve said that whoever the new Labour leader is should set about talking to others, and the first people should be people in the recently formed Social Democrats party.”