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Updated 22:49pm
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND Reform Minister Brendan Howlin has told the Parliamentary Labour Party that he will not run for the leadership of the party.
Howlin told TDs and Senators at a meeting in Leinster House this evening that he will not seek to become leader after Cabinet colleague Joan Burton earlier declared her intention to seek the leadership in the wake of Eamon Gilmore’s decision to step down.
Howlin’s move comes after two previous attempts to become leader in 1997 and 2002 failed.
The meeting lasted for over two hours with sources describing it as emotional, saying there was a general appreciation within the party at way in which the Tánaiste’s departure was handled and announced.
Members of the so-called ‘gang of eight’ – TDs and a senator who tabled a motion of no confidence in Gilmore prior to his resignation announcement on Monday – are said to have expressed regret at tabling the motion without discussing it with the Tánaiste first.
Junior Minister Alex White was no clearer about his leadership ambitions with differing views from Labour TDs and Senators as to whether he will run.
However it has emerged that though he did not threaten to resign if Gilmore remained as party leader he was prepared to support the no confidence motion.
Despite speculation that Burton will be unopposed there was a general view among members that “people want a contest”, as one parliamentary party member put it.
Nominations for the Labour leadership contest close next Tuesday at 12 noon after which there will be a postal ballot of around 5,000 members with a result to be announced on 4 July.
If no one else contests the leadership then Burton will be automatically elected as Labour leader unopposed as soon as nominations close next week.
This means that she could conceivably become Tánaiste by the end of next week.
Originally published 18:22
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Why not deduct the tabs from their salary?? They are doing it to us
Yup, all they’d have to do is provide their PPS number. I’m sure that wouldn’t be an issue.
A tactic often used by governments when introducing new charges or taxes is to tell us how the same charges are already the norm in a selection of other countries. The intention being to highlight the fact that we are ‘behind’ these other countries.
I’d like to know now, how many other countries have a pub in their parliament?
Bad news for you there, a lot of parliaments have bars. There are several in Westminster, and I saw one on the roof level of the Reichstag building on a trip to Berlin.
But I somehow doubt you’ll be allowed run up a tab, or create a lapgate, anywhere else.
There should be no “tabs” in the Dail bar and those with Tabs should be charged interest at the same rate the revenue demands from the people living in this country.
There should be no pub in the Dáil, never mind ‘tabs’.
In fairness, they’re all on high salaries so it’s safe for the bar to give credit on the basis that “They’re good for it”.
These piss heads are so out of touch with ordinary joe soap…
And the ‘ordinary Joe soap’ won’t don’t a thing about it.
@ Jason: Hear, hear.
What a bunch of absolute pigs.
Amen
Ale sucking degenerate pigs
“Attention fellow TD’s”
“An important piece of legislation has to be passed”
“Lets have a €7,000 allnighter p1ss up”
“Yehaw”
Writing off people’s debts will certainly help that.
Bunch of round dodgers
7k bill during a night of discussion and related work…..so….drunk at work :They get a tab…. We get fired….yeap that’s fair…
Why don’t they just name those that didn’t pay their bill?
Should be drug and alcohol testing before these bofoons make huge decisions affecting the whole country.
Why are they allowed drink at work? Anybody else pissed at work gets fired.
Pity they don’t stay in the bar all day. Results would be better without them and at least they would have an excuse for the crap answers the give in the dail
Fall in tabs,is that a vote after
‘LAPGATE’!
Who cares?
Tab
They get it all back in expenses then!
I wonder will claims for the months the Dail wasn’t sitting be the same as the months it does?
That reminds me, I must drop in to Lidl next time I’m passing and pay for that two-litre bottle of Woodgate Cider from last month.
That picture deserves an award.
#politicalreform
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