Labour “won’t just make up numbers in government” says Bacik

Labour head into the general election off the back of decent local results in June’s local elections and winning their first European seat since 2009.

With polls showing that the Greens are unlikely to be asked back to repeat their 2020 coalition government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the prospect of Labour entertaining government again has become a distinct one in recent weeks, but party leader Ivana Bacik insists that Labour “won’t just make up the numbers” should they go back into government.

Speaking at the campaign launch, the Dublin Bay South TD said “we are excited about what Ireland can achieve in the next five years. and we are ready to play our part.  We believe in our ambition.  We believe that ambition is the best for Ireland and we want to be in government to achieve that.”

“The Labour Party I lead will not ‘make up the numbers’ just to be in government.  I won’t countenance that.  Following the election, I will seek, in the first instance, to agree a common platform among other left, progressive and green parties – parties serious about government and serious about the future.

“That way, we can have the strongest possible voice arguing for real, progressive change that people need and demanding that any or all of the larger parties meet our ambition. We must build better together.”

Bacik said she wanted the party to take part in a “progressive, left bloc with like-minded parties before any engagement with other parties,” which backs up comments made earlier this year.

In this instance, Labour has indicated they are willing to engage with the Social Democrats and the Greens after the general election and attempt to negotiate as a single bloc during government negotiations.

Green leader Roderic O’Gorman has shown interest in the idea, while the Social Democrats have been more elusive on the issue.

Labour, for their part, have been coy about the prospect of propping up a Sinn Féin-led government, with the parties failing to agree on a coalition on Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council following June’s local elections.

In the case of Dublin City Council, talks fell apart over Labour wanting to raise the local property tax while Sinn Féin did not, while on Fingal County Council the left-wing alliance lacked a clear majority to govern.