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JOAN BURTON HAS has told Labour members that the party will be a “sensible voice of opposition in contrast to the parties of protest and populism” in the wake of its worst election ever.
The party leader said Labour must ”reflect, rebuild and renew” in the wake of the general election.
The Tánaiste has written an email to all of the party’s members and supporters in the wake of its disastrous general election result, which saw its Dáil numbers reduced from 33 to just seven.
The last of these TDs, the long-serving Willie Penrose, was re-elected in Longford-Westmeath this morning.
In her e-mail to members this afternoon, Burton said it has been a “tough week” for the party with the result coming as “a huge disappointment to all of us”.
“We believe we have done very positive work for the country over the last five years, but, unfortunately, people have had to endure a lot and the government parties have borne the brunt,” she wrote.
Burton said the election of Penrose was “one small positive” as it gives the party speaking rights in the next Dáil.
She confirmed the party would go into opposition, saying:
This means that our parliamentary team can position ourselves as a sensible voice of opposition in contrast to the parties of protest and populism.
Burton said her thoughts are with friends and colleagues as well as activists, campaigners and members who worked “so hard during one of the most difficult elections in our history”.
“We are all hurting. But we should always be proud to be Labour Party members, and to continue to work for a better and fairer future for all,” she added.
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At least Dick spring opposed fine geal when they were in government in the 80s but labour didn’t draw the line with any of the cuts during the past 5 years and that is the reason for their downfall!
Is that an I Phone Joans texting off
I’m sure joan forgot to take these off,I’m sure the settings must have been on fantasy. . http://utv.ie/News/2015/01/29/200-new-jobs-announced-at-Action-Plan-for-Jobs-launch-27429
Sensible supporters of fine gael and support every thing they do is what joan means might as well join their party
Yeah shes looking for the Jobridge number. They will probably send her on a canoeing course.
Eddie, comment of today. Many thanks
Eddie I wish she was..only thing is she has her big fat pension sorted.
Learn English before posting a comment.
Orla is that for me..
Orla I was awaiting your reply,but since that I’ve not received one,you can’t start a sentence with a verb such as learn..maybe” you should learn.”
I thought dick spring was an Irish contraceptive.
Yes a canoeing course, located up a creek & without a paddle.
its the new JOAN phone .the strings are missing reception is down
#tellJoan LMFAO
“We believe we have done very positive work for the country over the last five years, but, unfortunately, people have had to endure a lot and the government parties have borne the brunt,”
Eh? Still missing the point I see, they honestly believe they are the victims of their so-called ‘tough decisions’, instead of the people on the end of the decisions…
‘This means that our parliamentary team can position ourselves as a sensible voice of opposition in contrast to the parties of protest and populism.’
Still doesn’t get it. Same dumb, dismissive tone
Like convicts who won’t admit guilt, hopefully for this shower of traitors we the jury will condemn them to hard labour for the life without possibility of parole.
for life*
Not hurting as much as I wanted them to, they got 7 seats to many
No, one less would have been much worse. So close but yet soooooo far!!!
Joan….”We lost some good representatives”
The problem Joan, is that they represented the wrong people, they were supposed to represent the people that gave them their votes and not the FG voters as they had their own representatives.
If she had been more worried what Kenny was at than what Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein were not at she might not of turning the Labour Party into a right wing party, Joan Burton brought the Labour Party to the worst result in 104 years and it will be 104 before it will come back under Burton or Kelly.
In fairness the result was almost written in stone since they went I to coalition with FG. Being weak willed with Noonan and the siptu Luas a week before the election. Turned the election into an almost complete collapse
It was her utter contempt for water protesters the obnoxious comments every time she stood in front of a mic.
Let’s face it the Unions and labour are useless. How can people work on zero contracts? Why did Labour & the unions not stop this? Labour are and will always be useless until the lot go.
You wont find any zero contracts in the public service though..
Ah Joan just resign and save us all a small bit of misery.
Blah Blah Blah…..
Regards,
Your leader,
Joan Burton.
Sent from my iPhone
Labour is Siptu-Siptu is Labour.
Boo Fu(kin’ Hoo!
Maybe they just need to deliver more Dublin Bikes? That seemed to be their biggest claim @ the local elections.
They’re on their bikes now.
I`m cryin` a river here.
They don’t represent the working class and they no longer have the power from the other side of the house to represent vested interests and cronies so what is the point of the Labour party? Nobody cares what Moany Joan, Alan “I’ve got the power” Kelly or Brendan “small man syndrome” Howlin has to say about anything related to the running of the country. They should keep quiet in the Dail and only speak when they are spoken to.
Been a while since labour represented the working class or unemployed Mainly public service workers support them However they moved this time to FF FF are always good to the public service
Another election and she won’t survive.. Liebour are toxic…
She definitely won’t especially after coming out and supporting Kenny to remain as Taoiseach.
That’s the thing here. She still believes she did no wrong and she still believes in Enda and FG. Complete delusional zombie stuff altogether. Whatever hope labour have in the future they have none with her as leader. If ever there was a woman that needed a lobotomy..
Willy, spot on, FF are playing a clever game. Kenny knows FG are on the wire, Labour are toxic and Sf smell blood. If kenny removes IW and reforms the Dail maybe there is a chance but???
The buck stops with you Joan.
Just saying.
Alan Kelly cost them more…sure didnt he take over where that hogan left. I know it was all FG politics..but as the deputy leader he should have seen what was happening. Kelly was the demise of Labour..and even his celebration at getting his seat back- he thought he was a gonner.
Some very uncharismatic people in Labour all right.
Close your eyes Joan, The comments on this one ain`t gonna be pretty.
Haha, Joans only started hurting now when she’s out of gov, while most of the ordinary people in the country have been unjustlfiably hurting for the last 5/6/7 years due to the austerity imposed by these clueless politicians.
She still in charge?
Tick tock….
Am I reading that right? After 5 years in government they are no going into opposition. Wow, I think they should change their name to The Confused Party. The only thing they have going for them now is they wont be FG lapdogs. Hopefully none of the rest will either.
Strange….they don’t even they know to what they are opposed.
I think Sesame Street do a thing about being confused about identity. I must find it and send it to them.
What?
Gutted for them
We’ve been hurting the last 10 years Joan, not too nice is it ?
The beginning of the end of Moany &Fatneck.
Did she explain why vote transfers went from labour to FG but FG only transferred between there own candidates. There’s no fool like an really old fool, you turned labour blue for power and got used by a Substandard Tory party. By waving enda Kenny goodbye from the Plith of leinster house before the election you waved goodbye to any credibility labour had. How long before the Labour Party erase you from their history. An example of now not to lead a politicial party.
Looks like an expensive phone and headset she’s got there.
No need to worry about Labour now, they are a non entity now.
Labour was founded to protect the people Kelly and Burton sacrificed for the last 5 yrs.they have no credibility, how can they speak for these people in Leinster house, they can’t.they will be shot down every time they try to defend these groups,laughter at,so they are of no signifigance. Well done Joan and Alan.
Can I just say
You know every time when joan was taking leaders questions in the dail and she never answered any serious questions and instead just started insulting the opposition, I’m sure everybody is thanking joan for her great work there! (NOT).
She looks a right plank with the headphones! Has she taken up flying lessons?
C’mere Joan……WE BORE THE BRUNT DO YOU STILL NOT GET IT GURL
We are all hurting from her screeching voice be it in the dáil, on debates or just generally. Still can’t believe she got reelected tbh
“The parties of protest and populism”!! Where do I start! There are many and varied causes for legitimate protest in this country, and I defy this haughty old trout to deny it. I am also sick of the Orwellian newspeak employed by our politicians (of all shades). Liberal has become a pejorative term instead of praiseworthy. Populist or populism, meaning of, and approved of, by the populace is also a pejorative. We can’t have the public thinking they can have an opinion or voice dissent, can we. Just who the feck told these second raters that elected office made them our Masters, entitled to our total obedience?? I don’t recall seeing THAT in any party’s manifesto.
Political arrogance. The people have spoken – and once again she is not listening to them.
“We are all hurting. But we should always be proud to be Labour Party members, and to continue to work for a better and fairer future for all,” she added.
You and David Begg and Brendan Howlin only work for a fair future for public servants Joan-your paymasters are doing OK.What did you expect from those on the outside.??
Reflect, Rebuild, Renew – RESIGN or RETIRE is perhaps more appropriate.
I wonder how many cancelled Labour off their siptu membership fees
The population is hurting thanks to Burton and her Labour colleagues. Pay Back Time.
The junior partner is a coalition government, in Ireland and elsewhere, always get decimated.
PDs, Greens, Lib Dems… they couldn’t have been blindsided by this and if they were it is proof how detached from reality they were.
Like Hitler in the Berlin bunker, its everybody’s fault but Joan’s. Labour was supposed to be a left of center party committed to the less privileged and good public services. Their commitment was to the bankers and bondholders and public services are a shambles. So Labour got their answer from the electric.
Very expensive looking phone
I hope i never see or hear that arrogant cow again
Jobbridge for her, cleaning out elephant dung lol.
If the thought of losing her position as leader of labour she might get an offer from job bridge
Please, please, for the love of god let them elect a CC who responds to her “can I just say?” with a flat “No!”
Will Howlin be the new leader now after Alan tries to replace her now. As there is no other way to go but to get rid of her?
I have never in my life read such a load of poppycock…do people type these comments just to fill space…wake up folks we have come from the brink of being bankrupt or are you sll so wealthy you didnt notice? Well Im not wealthy and I noticed….I have MS and am on disability and in a wheelchair and I noticed when our money was robbed off us by the FF government and I noticed when Joan Burton became Minister for Social Protectection and despite all the odds and the fact that there was so little money she did what she promised she would do, and kept our core payments intact, and for this I am truly grateful. The FG&Lab government did a wonderful job of turning the country around and setting us up for recovery and every member of that government deserves our thanks , but instead the country lashed out and punished them for the pain that had to be influcted during the years of recession when if fair was fair they should have been punishing FF. Just as s footnote here as the water charges are causing so much hab9ck it was the outgoing FF government who signed the water charges into law and left the incoming government to implement the charges thry FF had signed into law and FF signed it into law becsuse of a directive from Europe. . You cant spend money you havent got unless of course your FF and you are ready to sell the country out to the highest bidder . Of course we all saw what happened to us in their hands when the Troika and the IMF came into the country to inflict financial pain on all of us and we were no longer in charge of our country becsuse FF had sold us out. Joan Burton and the Labour party can hold their heads up high. They have stood with their country and her people through one of the worst times in out history and when the country most needed them and they will rise again . Thank you Joan Burton and the Labour Party for your service to our country
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