Former Labour TD resigns from party

A former Labour Party TD yesterday tendered his resignation from the party citing serious concerns about the direction it has taken under the leadership of Pat Rabbitte.

Former Sligo/Leitrim TD Declan Bree who has been at odds with the party leadership for some time, said he could not in conscience participate in the general election campaign or support the Labour Party candidate in his constituency.

He criticised Labour's pact with Fine Gael saying Labour candidates were being used to "sweep up" votes for Fine Gael in many constituencies, including his own.

The party's candidate in the Sligo/North Leitrim constituency reacted to the development by accusing Cllr Bree of trying to obstruct and damage the party. Cllr Jim McGarry said Mr Bree's resignation was "no surprise - simply old hat".

In a letter to the local Labour branch secretary, Mr Bree who served in the Dáil from 1992 to 1997, said Mr Rabbitte had failed to apologise for "totally unfounded and false accusations" made about him in a letter to The Irish Times in September 2005.

A spokesman for Mr Rabbitte, who is due in Sligo on Saturday to campaign with Mr McGarry, said he was not particularly surprised at this development.

"Declan has had a semi-detached relationship with the Labour Party for some time," said the spokesman who said that all the local councillors and party activists were united behind Mr McGarry's campaign.

A serious rift developed within the Labour Party in Sligo after Mr Bree criticised party colleagues, including Mr McGarry, for voting against the local Traveller accommodation programme in 2004.

Mr Rabbitte subsequently accused the former TD of having used his position as mayor of Sligo to block Traveller accommodation from going into his own ward, a charge Mr Bree vehemently denied.

In his resignation letter, Mr Bree said he bore no personal animosity towards Mr McGarry, but he accused the former Fine Gael representative of having consistently voted against Labour on issues such as service charges and the use of Shannon airport by US troops.

Mr Bree also said he had major difficulties with the "ill-conceived decision" of the Labour Party to enter into a pre-election agreement with Fine Gael.

"Essentially what the Labour Party under Pat Rabbitte's leadership is doing is giving the kiss of life to the party founded by General O'Duffy, rather than seeking to lead a left-led government and fighting the general election as a left party with its own values and with its own independent policies."

Mr McGarry said that since his term as mayor of Sligo had ended, Mr Bree had done nothing to advance the cause of Labour "except to continue on this endless whinge".