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BRENDAN HOWLIN HAS confirmed he is contemplating contesting the Labour leadership battle.
The Wexford TD said he will think about running for the top spot over the weekend.
It comes as the former Tánaiste Joan Burton announced yesterday that she would step down as head of the party.
Speaking on RTÉs Morning Ireland the former minister for public expenditure said he has always had the ambition to be the leader of his party, adding ”everybody’s interested who’s involved in politics”.
I’m going to contemplate whether it’s the right thing for me and the party over the next few days, I haven’t made up my mind on it yet.
Howlin has put forward his name to be leader of the party twice in the past. Speaking this morning, he said, “I’ve said many times I want to be the leader of the Labour Party … that’s my very straight and clear answer.”
“I believe that working together in a new type of leadership, we will make a huge difference and restore the fortunes of Labour quicker than you imagine.
“It has to be a collective leadership where all of us work together.”
‘Plenty of mistakes’
Discussing Labour’s fall in the last election Howlin said, “Fianna Fail mugged Ireland and we came in with the ambulance.”
He said he didn’t feel the party made mistakes in its campaign but did admit to mistakes while in coalition, “Not in the campaign – but in the past five years did we made mistakes? Plenty of them.”
Howlin said the party now needs to “hit the ground running, be united in purpose, we need to know what we’re about”.
When asked about the interest of many of his Labour colleagues to contend the leadership, Howlin said, “That’s a good thing isn’t it … that we all want to be involved in bringing the party forward, restoring the party to greatness again.”
Addressing Alan Kelly’s scheduled appearance on the Late Late Show on Friday night, he said, “I wish him well, I look forward to it.”
He added that he would support his colleague 100% if he won the leadership.
Speaking on Newstalk a short time later, Howlin further discussed Alan Kelly saying:
He’s the deputy leader, he’s a high profile individual. He will be pivotal in the future of Labour.
When asked if some Labour TDs were putting their names forward for the leadership “who don’t necessarily want it themselves but don’t want Alan Kelly”, Howlin replied:
“It’s about what’s right for the party, what roles each of us are going to play in the future. How we shape the recovery of Labour, what sort of inclusive policy making we have … we are in different times.”
The Wexford TD denied that he looked for a precondition of an uncontested leadership, saying “certainly not” and that he is “absolutely” up for a contest.
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The late late show are really scraping the bottom of the barrel when all they can get on the show is the likes of Alan Kelly ..
I’ll definitely be watching that.
I hope the Camembert Quartet plays the lonely piano music from The Incredible Hulk as he bounds onto the stage and thrashes up Ryan’s desk.
RTE have been pushing the IW agenda since day one. The stick Tuberty will ask Kelly hard questions like ” what colour shoes do you like Alan” RTE have also been anti water protesters. €160 Licence Fee towards Tuberty s nearly half a million wages from RTE
Correct Eddie. You only have to watch Tubridys disgraceful interview of Paul Murphy on a light entertainment show, and then compare it to the kid gloved interview enda kenny was given on a current affairs show the week before.
If Kelly had got his way there would have been a brand new water bill for everyone in the audience.
Personally I think he needs help, I also think a survey to see if he was a school yard bully wouldn’t be a bad idea There’s two possibilities here he was a spoilt child, or rejected because he kept biting the postman’s ankle.
priceless from a man whom discriminated against 18 to 26 yr olds,,L/Ps,, the homeless the blind,,carers.disabled,even the families of the dead were not spared,,go away howlin
Different cheeks of the same arse
Trevor , what a marvellous and original comment. You must be so proud.
Once I’ve impressed you rory, that’s my day made.
Well he won’t ever be in a position to get my vote at all.
Well Howlin illegally gave the go ahead for the Eircode project which didn’t meet the conditions required by his own department so he was part of the corrupt process….yea make him leader.
Obsessed much?
Eircodes were a great idea and long overdue
@PJ Against a corrupt tender process that banned a proven code design from tendering & delivered a second rate RANDOM postcode that not a single postman in Ireland is equipped to use. A code that is 100% useless for the emergency services for ALL non dwelling emergencies…damn right we’re obsessed…
@Rochelle We like your use of the past tense…
Any idea how they work have heard five different conflicting opinions how the actually work?
They work badly…here’s why
What’s wrong with Eircodes…
http://getlosteircodes.com/?page_id=12
Here’s a tip Brendan. Don’t bother.
I listened to the full interview on Newstalk this morning, whether he’s announced it or not he’s already clearly campaigning, I took this mornings interview as his declaration of intent, he will no doubt announce it officially on Monday.
There’s probably not enough money in it for Howlin to make the job worth while.
It’s a sad day if Howlin gets the leadership. He was Noonan’s b1tch for the last 5 years and lead the charge into coalition with labours natural enemy Fine Gael. The next leader of Labour will have an easy gig. They just missed out on a lot of seats so the will easily double there numbers at the next election.
“Fianna Fail mugged Ireland and we came in with the ambulance.”
Go on out of that Howlin Labour are as much to blame for the bankruptcy of the country as FF. Labour has the likes of Alan Kelly in the party and is as corrupt if not more corrupt as Fianna Fail. Why did Alan Kelly create a quango in Clonmel, Local Authorities Water and Communities Office (LAWCO)
Labour are not the ambulance drivers they and their members have done more damage to Irish society then any other party. If you want a change in how the labour party are viewed then publicly remove the rot that now leads your party.
Ran over by the ambulance coming to save you.
There was no ambulance, gone with cutbacks
“Fianna Fail mugged Ireland……..then Labour came along and rifled though the victims pockets for the small change.”
F.G. did the necrophilia then?
Seems like a handy job at least he doesn’t have that many people to deal with
He WILL get it over Alan, if he goes for it as seen by the last election messing with Alan’s votes?
Is that now the standard of the late late show….. A labour politician who got elected by the skin of his teeth….. Why on earth would they have Alan Kelly on again…….as for howlin …. It will be s blistering contest with 6 TDs all needing another td to seconded them…..
The only way to block Kelly would be for nobody to second his nomination. Hard to see anybody seconding him? Why would they. Put him in charge and the members leave and the party disappears. Surely Labour TDs arent that stupid?
Who cares what Liebour do.. Now irrelevant ..
Makes no difference who is leader, they aint relevant anymore.
Labour drove the mercs in not the ambulance Brendan.
Free the Wicklow 2. Eamon McGrath and Seán Doyle are innocent
Who would want that poisoned chalice?
Their names are mentioned in the article above.
Howlin Minister for Pay Cuts , Health Cuts ,
The your time howling it’s will be 15 year min before anyone forgets the pain inflicted by your party.
well its gives him publicity, on the plus side when labour eventually disappear it leaves all the bearded ones in the unions with a dilemma, what now? who will listen to them? will all their compulsory members continue to pay their subs?, I for one will not miss the charade of these unions as people realise how irrevelant they are due to HR laws
Strange a party with only 7 seats getting so much publicity..com on journal,
It’s nothing when compared to the journal’s recent obsession Paul Bradford’s young wife.
‘Yes’ Men like Howlin can only didder and lick.
He did declare those who protest against water charges to be anarchists. Labour promised no water charges. They were punished by the electorate for accepting these charges when they had no mandate to do so. When are they going to admit that Water Charges were the primary cause of their rejection by the people. They betrayed their voters and continue to do so.
I think labour is over.like the progressive democrats and the green party.Its time to call it a day boys and girls! If I was brendan howlin I’d retire.thwy had their day and made a hames of it, so bye bye.
Alan Kelly already knows he will be the next leader the same way Joan knew that she would replace Gilmore. Why else would he have done everything possible to undermine Joan as leader. He leaked information to journalists.he happily damaged the Labour Party to fast track is own ornanation as the labour leader. Labour only has a membership of 5000 members so it’s only a workers party in name only. Alan Kelly is supported by wealthy business people hoping that the next goverment will need a small party to Hold power. Howlin may play a part by proxy just like Alex white did during the last leadership battle but is he bothered enough to pretend he has any chance. The Labour Party died twenty years ago it’s as fake as Alan Kelly’s tan.
Now that he is in opposition, I wonder if he will continue to click his fingers disrespectfully at Gardaí?
Shows how out of touch Howlin is if he thinks a new leader can renew the labour party. Thier epitaph has been wriiten by their own actions in govt
Just what Labour need!
An eh … sort of … decisive-ish leader.
Traitors the lot of them.
I don’t care who labour get in as leader. They are finished in this country.
He’s had a lifetime to make up his mind or least to have the ambition.
So no he should not be labour leader now that he hesitates, he hesitate on everything else. Bye Brendan
Kellys going on the late late Fri night. Rte scraping the barrel now for people to talk to!
Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael are the the bullies who push you down, Labour come in for a sneaky kick
fighting over the leadership of Liebour is no different than fighting over deck chairs on the titanic, Liebour wont be back anytime soon, they got the dam good kicking they deserved, all thats needed now is Alan “power is my drug” Kelly to be elected the new leader and they will sink even faster.
There’s an A-Team joke in here somewhere.
@Damocles: Mr T? That’s Mr s-h-i-T!
You can’t find it either, eh?
Would Mrs A not make more sense combining the 2? Unless your dyslexic then and that would be MRSA???
Easier to get rid of than Liebour in government.
a man should lead a political party. whenver a woman gets power there is trouble. joan burton maggie thatcher indira Gandhi golda meir etc.
and Mary harney
Charlie Haughey, Bertie Aherne, Brian Cowen… ENDA KENNY.
Ineptitude is not gender biased.
Ruinua?
That’s not a great sign for a leader – ‘I can’t make up my mind’!!
You gotta speed it up
And then you gotta slow it down
‘Cos if you believe that Labour can hit the top
You gotta play around
And soon you will find that there comes a time
For making your mind up you gotta turn it up
And then you gotta cool it down
You gotta be sure that it’s something
Everybodys gonna talk about
Before you decide the times right for making your mind up
Don’t let your indecision take you from behind
Trust your inner vision
Don’t let others change your mind
And now you really gotta burn it up
And make another fly by night
Gotta run for your money and take a chance
And it will turn out right
And when you see how it’s gotta be
You’re making your mind up
And try to look as if you don’t care less
But if you wanna see some more
Then the rules of the game
Will let you find the one you’re looking for
And then you can show you think you know
That you’re making your mind up
Don’t let your indecision take you from behind
Trust your inner vision
Don’t let others change your mind
And now you really gotta speed it up
And then you gotta slow it down
‘Cos if you believe that Labour can hit the top
You gotta play around
And soon you will find that there comes a time
For making your mind up
And now you really gotta speed it up
And then you gotta slow it down
‘Cos if you believe that a love can hit the top
You gotta play around
And soon you will find that there comes a time
For making your mind up, for making your mind up
For making your mind up, for making your mind up
I did not know he had one
So Brendan hasn’t made up his mind. He’s only had about 3 months to think about it.
Labour party should be abolished
Decent man….about the only one in that shower….
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