Election campaign will be a ‘battle of ideas’, says Burton

The general election campaign will be a battle of ideas between Fine Gael and Labour, rather than a battle between the Government and Opposition, Tánaiste Joan Burton will claim today.

Ms Burton’s intervention is the strongest statement yet from the Labour Party as it attempts to carve out a distinct election pitch from Fine Gael. It is also the first time the Tánaiste has pitched the Labour Party against Fine Gael in such terms.

In a speech to a party symposium on James Connolly, as part of Labour's 1916 commemoration programme, Ms Burton will also say future resources should be allocated between public spending increases and tax cuts on a 70:30 per cent ratio.

This compares to a preference in Fine Gael for tax cuts over spending increases, Ms Burton says.

She will also argue that voters face a simple question in the election. “Will we continue to make progress or risk going backwards? Do we vote for the stability this coalition Government has provided or the instability of the Opposition?”

The “battle of ideas” in the campaign will be one between Fine Gael and Labour, rather than Coalition and Opposition.

“I don’t mean that, having worked together effectively for five years in Government, we will suddenly begin tearing shreds off each other,” Ms Burton will say.

“As Labour leader, I want this Government returned, because I believe we have a shared vision: for stability, jobs and balanced government.

“But we have different ideas about how to achieve that vision. So each party fights its corner.

“We have a battle of ideas. We negotiate. We compromise. The centre-left and the centre-right find centre ground. We reach solutions in the best interests of our people.”

The Dublin West deputy will claim, as achievements by Labour in government, USC reductions for low and middle income earners, increases in the minimum wage, legislating for the X case, the same-sex marriage referendum and the reduction in the bankruptcy term from three years to one year.

Ms Burton ruled out the Labour Party joining any coalition with Sinn Féin.