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THE LABOUR PARTY has announced it will support a Yes vote in both upcoming referendums on family, care and gender equality.
This comes after the party’s leader, Ivana Bacik, told The Journal last month that she was unsure if the party could support the campaigns if their motion to reword the care referendum was not accepted.
However, after the motion was not accepted by government today, the party leader motioned the Executive Board to support the campaigns in both upcoming referendums this evening.
On International Women’s Day, on 8 March, voters will be asked to decide whether they want to accept changes to the Irish Constitution relating to the provision of care and a woman’s place in the home.
Voters are being asked if they want to:
The Executive Board tonight confirmed that it accepted Bacik’s motion and has confirmed its position.
Commenting on the announcement this evening, Bacik said the Constitution must be updated to reflect the changes in Irish society – despite government choosing not to support her party’s rewording.
While Sinn Féin is yet to formally decide on its position, Housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin indicated earlier this week that he believes the party will support a Yes vote.
He said although there is still debate about the final wording, Sinn Féin is in favour of updating the language in the constitution.
“Ultimately, both with respect to carers and also with the outdated language of women in the home, there is a job of work to be done to address those kind of historic issues,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“So as it currently stands, the answer is yes,” he added.
A meeting to decide on the party’s official stance will take place on Saturday week.
The Social Democrats are understood to be begrudgingly backing a Yes vote, with sources within the party stating that it is “the right thing to do”.
The party, which tabled amendments to the legislation this week, believe the government’s wording doesn’t go far enough, but that a no vote would be damaging.
In terms of other political parties, the government parties – Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party – are all advocating for a Yes vote, of course.
People Before Profit, though speaking out about their reservations, have also stated that it will back a Yes vote.
Includes reporting by Jane Matthews
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Last month it was a BIG NO from labour / now its a big Yes…… & they’re wondering why they’re facing obliviation???? I once was a labour voter, even canvassed for them……NEVER AGAIN. Joan Burton brought any shred of credibility they had to nothing single handedly
@Ken Mc Carthy: Obliviation, wow. In the upcomingifying electionisation?
@Dylan Cotter: LOL
@Dylan Cotter: I’m sure this comment sounded hilarious in your head. Let’s all hope you enjoyed the laughtrysation.
Last week she was advocating a No vote, now after having her wings clipped by Govt with the Labour Party rewording thrown out, she is advocating a yes vote, another flip flop. Her voting No was just a fallacy, just like she would build 1 Million homes in 5 years. All the parties now voting Yes, Sinn Fein, Labour & Social Democrats have lost all credibility, no alternative for voters in Ireland now, we need something radical.
I’ll definitely be voting no so
Labour party, erasing women, one woke policy at a time.
If she was happy with the draft with her changes how can she support now without those changes ?
This is not a pro woman amendment, it’s an anti woman amendment .
Ivana ( do or say anything to be a junior partner in the next government) Bacik. Thank you for your contribution Ivana, but its a big pass from me..
It’s as basic as this , if the liebour party are for it I’m against it!
@Liam o Connor: I suppose that saves mental effort aka thinking for yourself.
political correctness has become a beast
Can we change it? No. Ok we’ll go along with it so. Power play. Even the Social Democrats don’t want to buddy up with Labour!
So the Labour Party will be calling on all seven supporters to vote Yes, this could swing it!
‘I’m a ladddyyy’ said the man and the deluded woke types said, ‘of course you are my dear’ and that was the beginning of the end for women.
Men – even better than women at being women, welcome to the craziest of days.
Read between the lines people… That’s all about the end result to remove protection for women and everything linked to it. All parties have interest to do that. If the “no” come on top, this will just show how out of touch they are with the people.
@Dominic Leleu: Quite when what it should be about is extending that protection to anyone who remains at home in order to maintain the home and provide care.
Still in reality that protection has long since been eroded most families need every adult working in order to make ends meet and that is unconstitutional.
There’s probably a good class action case for women against the state in there but IANAL.
VOTE NO TO BEING A MINORITY
Well, the Labour Party supports a yes vote.
Will that swing it for me, or anyone else?
I doubt it!
Stay at home Mothers in the past provided most of the childcare and the care of elderly relatives for free. When more and more entered the workforce ,childcare and care of the elderly and disabled became big business. So in fact it was never appreciated the valuable service that these women were providing for free. They were just taken for granted .
@Aine OConnir: My late wife was a stay at home mother, her valuable service was greatly appreciated by the whole family and certainly not taken for granted.
@Steve O’Hara Smith.: I am sure your Mother was cherished by your family. What I meant was that these wonderful Mothers were not appreciated by the State for the valuable work they were providing .I know I was one of them .
This should clearly illustrate that politicians posturing in the Dail is just theatre, and in the end they all just play along, either by falling in line or by abstention.
The recent supreme court case clearly showed that the law can interpret the existing constitution in a modern context, negating any necessity to amend it. I will be voting no.
If you vote, it means you buy into the state, its laws etc.
Personally, while I take an interest in politics, it is purely an observational interest, as I haven’t voted in years. Politicians and their hangers-on are all snake oil merchants.
If this country was invaded tomorrow, and that prospect is not far-fetched, would I defend it? No. Because the same character of people would be in charge regardless.
To misquote, I am my own state.
@AnthonyK: Sounds like you want to live in Somalia. You get great benefits from living in the state protected by the laws you don’t want to “buy in to”.
lol they will make a great bed fellow in government – pretend principsls and then roll over when required
@Shane C: Labour has already proved that they do not have a policy or principle that they won’t abandon for a Merc
The Labour Party showing us every day how irrelevant they truly are
Why is this a party issue? Referendums should be a personal choice and no business of party leadership.
I notice from increasing numbers of comments on these referendum articles that the far-right have somehow managed to delude their followers into thinking that this is somehow linked to immigration.
I’m actually left scratching my head at how easily manipulated and utterly devoid of of any shred of independent thought some people are.
@Wombleman: People get the government they deserve. Because the majority of people that become politicians are merely using ideologies and issues as the means to get elected, by exploiting fear and ignorance, once elected, they just play politics to get re-elected.
Independents and new parties that set themselves apart from FFFG, once elected they immediately make deals to play along with FFFG.
It seems likely given anti-immigrant rhetoric online, that some right-wing candidates or a party claiming to be the embodiment of right-wing anti-immigrant sentiments will run in future elections, however once elected they will make deals with FFFG too and do just enough anti-immigrant posturing to ensure their re-election, in the same way as the Green Party postures on environmentalism.
It’s a NO
The Constitution currently excludes all families which are not married and denies them the same rights. CSO stats show more than 40% of children born in Ireland now are born outside of marriage or civil partnerships. I’d like to provide and extend unmarried parents and all children the constitutional protection that they deserve.
@Tom Dillon: & where are they not protected ?
Seems to be a fair bit of arguing over this which given that it is does involve constitutional rewording may be expected. However whatever rewording is made won’t make one blind bit of difference to anyone’s day to day life.
Bacik always looks in Labour, her party should join SF/ira, sour meets bitter.
Very difficult to have a meaningful, long overdue referendum when the government are sabotaged at every turn by deceptors of various persuasions!
For all you little right wing manboys without the Labour party ,Ffg and the Catholic Church would be selling babies ,
have your say