Labour’s challenging future

Sir, – Your editorial on the Labour Party ("Noble tradition, challenging future", February 14th) reads more like an obituary than an optimistic vision for the future.

It has been well described how Labour was punished by the electorate for being a junior coalition partner.

In addition, parties such as Sinn Féin, the AAA-People before Profit, the Social Democrats and a variety of Independents have nibbled away at Labour’s core support, and will continue to do so.

Labour’s search for a new leader may become a game of pass the parcel, with the more sensible potential applicants avoiding the race in case they’re in the hot seat when the music finally stops. – Yours, etc,

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MARY MORRISSEY,

Castletownbere,

Co Cork.

Sir, – I fully endorse your excellent editorial on the Labour Party. Labour, in conjunction with the trade union movement, has done immeasurable work in improving the conditions of the working people of this country over the past 100 years.

As you correctly say, they did this without shooting, maiming and destroying the lives of people. This country, as a whole, will be ill-served by the decline in popularity of the Labour Party in favour of radical alternatives on the left.

Last week, you correctly pointed out that 75 per cent of the electorate did not give Sinn Féin their first preference. That party now says it would be a slap in the face to their voters if Sinn Féin is not included in government and recommended the other smaller parties should eschew Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

But what about this overwhelming 75 per cent majority of other voters? This type of rhetoric is dangerous for our democracy and encourages alternative populist movements to foment. – Yours, etc,

JOHN STAUNTON

Rathfarnham,

Dublin 14.