There is no sign Irish Labour wants to link with Labour Party in Northern Ireland and many in latter would reject it anyway

The Irish Labour Party (ILP) has recently elected a new leader in Alan Kelly, who is best known for his deeply unpopular water charges policy, when he served as environment minister in the Fine Gael/Irish Labour coalition government 2011-16.

By Andrew Ward

Published 16th Apr 2020, 06:00 BST

Updated 17th Apr 2020, 10:43 BST

Alan Kelly has not shown much interest in Northern Ireland and there is no sign that he will repeat his predecessor Brendan Howlin’s threat to stand candidates in Northern Ireland given the SDLP’s alliance with Fianna Fáil .

Indeed since then, Irish Labour figures canvassed for SDLP candidates during the UK general election campaign in December 2019.

There is also no sign that Alan Kelly’s Irish Labour is at all keen to link up with the Labour Party in Northern Ireland (LPNI).

Besides many Labour Party NI members would reject such a move given the dire unpopularity of the ILP in the south following its disaffiliation from trade unions and full-blooded attacks on the livelihoods of the poor when in coalition government.

Andrew Ward, Press Officer, Labour Left Alliance Northern Ireland, Labour Party Northern Ireland Member