Brendan Howlin on rebuilding Labour, politics of the left, Trump, & more

After a catastrophic performance in the 2016 general election, the Labour party must rebuild from its roots and reconnect with working class voters, according to its leader Brendan Howlin.The Wexford TD was speaking to this week’s Inside Politics podcast and said his party is currently working on a review of its constitution, for which there have been “hundreds of submissions”.Deputy Howlin said membership of the Labour party has increased by 1,200 in recent months, thirty new area representatives have been appointed and the process of selecting candidates to contest the next general election will get underway in the coming weeks. When asked if new leadership at both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin in the next general election would mean it was time for a change at the Labour helm, deputy Howlin said he was still “up for the task”. He said the aim is to double the party’s seats, but he acknowledged there would not be a “bounce back” this time round.Deputy Howlin also criticised the current government for “kicking issues a year down the road” with a view to there being a general election before they would have to be dealt with, and said the Dáil is “like a university debating society” that does not get anything done.Asked whether he believed the Taoiseach should go to the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, deputy Howlin said he should not but if he does, Enda Kenny must make it clear both in private and in public that Ireland does not support President Trump’s policies.Also on the podcast, Irish Times political correspondent Fiach Kelly talked about the stories circulating around the Dáil this week, including the debate over pre-clearance at Shannon Airport, Brexit and British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit.

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