Bacik re-elected as Labour leader

Leader leader Ivana Bacik has secured another term as leader.

Under Labour party rules, a leadership contest must be held within 6 months of a general election campaign.

There were no opponents to Bacik’s leadership following the opening of entries on April 30, and this remained the case when the deadline passed on May 8.

In a brief statement, the party said, “Labour will continue to grow and to put forward our vision of an equal, progressive and tolerant Ireland.”

The Dublin Bay South TD came to national prominence in July 2021 after winning the Dublin Bay South by-election and becoming party leader in early 2022.

When Bacik took the reins from Alan Kelly in early 2022, polling showed the party was running the risk of a near electoral wipeout, but last November’s general election saw the party win its most seats since 2011, largely at the expense of the Greens and transfers from government parties.

Five of the party’s 11 Dáil seats are held by Dublin TDs (three Northside, two Southside), with the party also winning its first European seat since 2009 last June in the form of Northside MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.

In a letter to party members before the May Bank Holiday weekend, chair of the parliamentary party Ged Nash said that Bacik had the “full support” of the party’s 11 TDs.

The leader race was largely a formality, similar to Roderic O’Gorman’s re-election as leader of the Green Party in late April.

Following November’s election, Labour were approached by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to take part in a coalition government, but walked from talks before Christmas after it became clear that neither party was willing to implement Labour’s red-line demand of creating a state construction company.

Within the party, there was also internal unease about the prospect of the party returning to government so soon after its stint in coalition between 2011 and 2016 with Fine Gael and did not wish to suffer the same fate which was recently bestowed upon the Greens.

In more recent times, Bacik has been instrumental in floating a potential united left-wing front for this year’s presidential election and has called on the government to introduce legislation that would compel the Christian Brothers to pay up and properly compensate survivors of abuse.