Dick Spring ‘extremely concerned’ about Labour difficulties

Former tánaiste and Labour leader Dick Spring is "extremely concerned" about the situation the party is in now, and said people are "beaten up" with austerity.

Mr Spring said the Government had a limited window to correct the mistakes it has made, and singled out the medical card controversy as one which damaged the Coalition’s performance in the local and European elections.

Speaking on Radio Kerry yesterday, the former Kerry North TD did not give any indication of who he would support in the leadership contest.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton received further backing last night as party whip Emmet Stagg declared he would support her for the leadership.

Mr Stagg, who is supporting Cork South-West TD Michael McCarthy for the deputy leadership, has one of the biggest Labour membership bases in the country in his Kildare North constituency.

While party sources say the rank and file membership will not necessarily follow the recommendation of their local TD, gaining the backing of Mr Stagg will nevertheless be seen as a significant coup for Ms Burton over her leadership rival, Alex White.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise Séan Sherlock, who is running for deputy leader, also confirmed his support for Ms Burton.

Mr Spring, meanwhile, said the “green shoots” of recovery were not being felt in people’s everyday lives.

“I am extremely concerned at the situation the Labour Party finds itself in,” the former tánaiste said. “I also believe the Government have made a number of mistakes coming up to the local and European elections. I suppose the medical card one was the one that one got most at the doors.

“There were other mistakes as well and I think the Government has a short window to correct the situation and to understand that the people are beaten up with the austerity programme we have had for the last six years. The people are absolutely frustrated.”

He described other parties as “the parties of protest”, adding: “We’ll be living in Utopia if half the policies Sinn Féin were peddling in the local elections . . . if we got half of them we’d be living in Utopia.

‘People are angry’

“The people are angry. I never thought I’d be saying this but the sooner we get Sinn Féin into Government and let them try to govern the country the better.”

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte has also declined to reveal which candidate he will support in the Labour leadership contest.

Sources in Mr White’s camp believe he will have a good chance of winning over to his side the old Democratic Left faction of the party, which includes Mr Rabbitte.

However, when asked yesterday if Mr White could bank on his support, Mr Rabbitte would not be drawn. “I haven’t made any announcement about the Labour leadership. The campaign seems to be under way and we’ll have a decision on July 4th,” he said.