Labour TD Alan Kelly has been criticised after calling on leader Brendan Howlin to consider his position.
A defiant Mr Howlin said he is “extremely disappointed” with Mr Kelly’s call for change, especially as he had not mentioned anything when the two met at a funeral on Wednesday.
Speaking to the
, Mr Howlin said Mr Kelly has absolutely “no support in the parliamentary Labour Party” and the support of only a small minority of councillors.There is not a single other parliamentary party member who supports the challenge,” said Mr Howlin. “He has the support of a minority of councillors. We have had no formal proposition to the Central Council.
On Tipp FM, Mr Kelly said the party under Mr Howlin was not relevant and not connecting with the people and he said he agreed with the call of party councillors for a change of leader.
Asked if he feels the time has come for Mr Howlin to go, Mr Kelly said: “I certainly think we are in a very difficult situation. We need to change the direction of the party, we need a new vision, we need far more energy and ensure with that change we bring people with us. And at this moment that is not happening and I am not seeing anything to make it happen. So it does need that significant change, yes.
I agree with the councillors who have come out that we need to talk about how we are going to change the party and as part of that we need to talk about the leadership.
Mr Howlin, who is a TD for Wexford, said it is “entirely premature” to talk of leadership change. “Most people in the party want us to get on with the job and certainly do not want us to go down the rabbit hole of some contest. Bluntly, my call is simple, we don’t need this distraction now and we have to unite for the good of the party.”
Party chairman Willie Penrose also expressed his deep disappointment in Mr Kelly’s actions.
“The Labour Party has had three leaders in the space of five years,” he said. “Having a fourth leader is not going to magically improve our poll ratings.”