Labour HQ overrules Sligo party objections

sligo | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday October 22, 2003 11:45 by pat

Labour bosses have told local branches to toe the line over the controversial admission of ex-Fine Gael councillor Jim McGarry to the party.The powerful National Executive Committee of the party called on all Sligo/Leitrim members to accept the split decision of the west ward branch to admit Councillor McGarry.

Alderman McGarry was taken into the party on a seven-six vote of the west ward branch. Party headquarters yesterday (Monday) stressed in a statement that they welcomed the decision to admit Councillor McGarry. “The NEC calls on all members in Sligo/Leitrim to accept the democratically expressed views of the local branch”. The statement also urged members to work within the growing organisation and to commit themselves within the enlarged organisation to maximise the number of seats for the next local election.

But Alderman Declan Bree said the statement would not allay fears that Councillor McGarry’s arrival caused a sense of betrayal amongst the rank and file.
Alderman Bree declined to comment further ahead of the meeting of the consituency council on Thursday October 30. It is expected that the 32-strong body will be considering the ringing endorsement for Councillor McGarry from party headquarters.
But senior Sligo/Leitrim Labour member Declan Bree has already suggested that this decision could split the party. In a letter to all party members he claimed that there was a sense of betrayal among ordinary members.
Some members said they no longer wished to be associated with the party.
He said a number of members had contacted him stressing that Councillor McGarry had voted against Labour party policies at Sligo County Council and Borough Council. Members pointed out that he had voted for privatisation, service charges, US planes landing in Shannon en route to Iraq and against a motion calling on the Government to hold a referendum to insert an article of neutrality and non-alignment in the Constitution. Alderman Bree also pointed out that the constituency council had voted to defer the question of membership until after next year’s local elections.