Local LAbour rep delighted at Burton leadership

Seamus Enright

Local Labour representative Mary Croke has said she is both delighted and proud, following Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton’s election as party leader earlier today.
The local election candidate said she hoped the change would see a return to “responsive, responsible grassroots politics”.
Minister Burton’s elevation comes after Deputy Eamonn Gilmore announced his decision to step down after the party’s poor performance in the European and Local Elections.
Junior Transport Minister Alan Kelly was elected as deputy leader and Ms Croke told The Anglo-Celt that not only did the change at the top strike a chord for equality in politics but it also had the potential to repair some of the damage inflicted upon the party, evidenced in recent opinion polls.
Ms Croke, voted for both for candidates for each position. “I hope this is the start of change within the party. There has been a lot of mistakes and, I hope, with this change of leadership the party will return to his grassroot policy of listening to people.”
The former Cavan-Belturbet area candidate still represents the party among the electorate at local level, and says that “people cannot take anymore austerity”.
Minister Burton herself promised to “focus relentlessly” on getting people and businesses back to work and to make Ireland a better place “for all it’s people, not just the wealthy and better off” and Ms Croke believes if such a policy is to succeed, it needs to begin by empowering rural economies first.
“We’re hearing about rising unemployment and homelessness. The problem there is, and it even happened under the Fianna Fail government where there was too much focus on building industry around urban areas, instead of bringing business away from those areas, to rural areas, where not only housing is cheaper but people quite often have a much better quality of life.”
After the landslide victory over her rival, Junior Health Minister Alex White, Minister Burton said she was proud shd has won the trust Labour members, adding that now now her job is to win the trust of the Irish people.
She became the 11th leader of the Labour Party and the first women to hold the position. Her involvement in politics stretches back four decades.
“The Labour party has always been a part of equality. I think this is not just a huge step for politics in Ireland, seeing her elected as party leader, but a huge step for the country. Its a great day for women and a great day for politics,” said Ms Croke, who opposed going into government with Fine Gael.
“After the last time the party went into government, they were decimated in the next General Election. I honestly think it will take about 10 years for Labour to get back again to where it once was and I think it can be done with Joan Burton as leader.
“I feel the party were too quick about getting into government, there were too many older members in power and maybe they felt this was their last chance. I think there will be major change come the cabinet reshuffle and it will see a lot of much younger deputies elected as Ministers.
“We have to get back to gaining the trust of the voters. We need to get back to meeting the people and listening to them”, she said.