‘We learned no lessons from our time in government’
By Mary Dennehy
ELECTED representative Mick Duff has become the second Tallaght councillor to resign from the Labour Party in the space of a week, reports Mary Dennehy.
The Labour Party in Dublin South West was dealt a blow last week when councillor Martina Genockey, who was selected to run for Labour in the next General Election, announced her resignation from the party.
A week later, Tallaght Central councillor Mick Duff also announced his immediate resignation as the Dublin South West Constituency Council chairperson, Central Council member and Labour Party member.
In a statement released, Cllr Duff said: “I was appalled by the fact that a vibrant, genuine, young representative [Cllr Genockey] from a community that the Labour Party was established to represent, would find herself making this decision speaks volumes.”
Both councillors, who are from local communities and have been sitting on South Dublin County Council for a number of years, supported calls over the summer months for a Labour leadership contest.
According to Cllr Duff, the Parliamentary Labour Party appointing Brendan Howlin as Leader in the aftermath of the 2016 General Election had a “detrimental effect on the morale” of the party.
“Notwithstanding the democratic deficit involved, the decision by Brendan [Howlin] to insist on his not being elected by the membership at a very minimum prevented the catharsis needed for the Party in the wake of what was a very difficult period in government and a bruising election campaign”, Cllr Duff said.
Time to reorganise, rejuvenate and rebuild
He added: “We have learned no lessons from our time in Government and seem hell bent on returning to Coalition as soon as we hear the noble call.
“Difficult as it is in opposition as a small party, we could effectively use that time to reorganise, rejuvenate and rebuild.
“Regaining trust as a party of social conscience is not easy, but it is a road I hoped the party would travel.
“Instead we hear calls for partnering up with the Social Democrats and the Green Party, bringing Labour into a situation like the SDLP, on a road to oblivion.”
Cllr Duff confirmed that he intends to remain on as a non-party member of the current South Dublin County Council.
