THE Labour Party leader is to deliver a strategy within two weeks designed to restore the party's fortunes before the next general election.
Following over four hours of, discussion with his Parliamentary Labour Party yesterday, Mr spring said his plan will involve improved "internal and external communications" and will require Labour ministers to visit constituencies to consult with the party's grassroots and convey Government strategy to the public.
"The persistent theme of the meeting was that Labour has a serious difficulty with its own perception among the public. That perception just has to be tackled. Water charges emerged in Dublin West (by election) as an issue on the day, but in truth, if it had not been that issue, the electorate would have picked up something else and used it against us", one source said last night.
In references to media treatment of Labour, the Independent Group, particularly the Sunday Independent, was identified as being particularly hostile.
Criticism of Labour ministers and concern at the drastic slippage in electoral support had earlier been expressed at yesterday's meeting - the first of Labour TDs and Senators since the Dail by elections on April 2nd in Donegal North East and Dublin West, both of which were won by Fianna Fail. Labour's vote fell to under 4 per cent in Dublin West, a development that sent shock waves through the party in the capital.
Yesterday's meeting also heard complaints that the party's public image had been damaged by recent controversies involving fund raising. Though there were no direct declarations that resignation would have been desirable in the case of Ms Eithnc Fitzgerald's invitation to lunch controversy, the handling of the matter was criticised at the meeting.
Speaking on RTE last night Ms Roisin Shortall TD said the party had a very serious image problem a lot of which was of its own making. "I would point in particular to the recent fund raising problems. They were very serious errors". Asked if, she agreed that heads should have rolled the Dublin North West TD replied: "Yes. I think in retrospect it would have been a good idea if more decisive action had been taken on those. They shouldn't have happened and I certainly hope that nothing like that will ever happen again".
The difficulties facing Labour were particularly stressed by Dublin TD who confront a more acute challenge than some of their rural colleagues in the next general election. "We were a bit like an old ailing firm facing our accountants. There was a realisation that we cannot go on like this that we have a problem, but all was expressed more in sorrow than in anger," one TD said.
Programme managers and Labour Party advisers were also identified by TDs as forming a barrier between the parliamentary party and Ministers. Deputies emphasised the lack of communication between Ministers and the rank and file and called for closer contact between Cabinet members and the parliamentary party.
Hinting that Ministers are outs of touch with issues in the constituencies, TDs said that crime, jobs and taxation are now matters of major concern.
Ministers were taken to task for their apparent inability to explain, what they were achieving in Government. "There was no criticisms of the Ministers' work rate they put in the hours but there were, complaints that each Minister, seems to be working alone they don't appear to operate as a unit, and they seem unaware that things have changed since they went into office in 1992. They show an inability to explain what they are achieving in office", one source said.