The new, merged, enlarged Labour Party now faces a simple marketing challenge - it must convince the media, and through them the public, that this really is a new departure in Irish politics rather than just a coming together of rival political personalities into an uneasy alliance.

There is little in the agreement between the parties that could not sit comfortably in a Fianna Fail, Fine Gael or Progressive Democrat publication. "Democracy, economic and social justice, sustainability, pluralism [and] community solidarity" are "our enduring values" the document declares.

There is no significant political party in Ireland which would oppose one of these "enduring values". All the other main parties can pose as social democrats too. Fine Gael fought the last election trumpeting its support for "inclusiveness" and sharing the benefits of economic success. The Government's recent budget was genuinely tax-reforming and moved much closer to Labour's ground than Mr McCreevy's previous policy of giving the greatest benefits to the well-off.

The key problem for Labour is to define a vision for the future, and to do so in a way that makes it clear that Labour stands for something quite distinct from the other main political parties. It must convince the voters of what Ruairi Quinn said in his speech to the Labour Party conference on December 12th, that: "We will invest in people's needs. The other parties won't."

However, in attempting to do this in the first half of 1999 they are likely to be cursed by personality politics. Labour figures raged at the fact that within days of their General Council approving the merger deal by 50 votes to nil (with two abstentions), the media flocked to write profiles of the most high-profile fly in the ointment, Ms Bernie Malone MEP.

Next June will be the first electoral test for the new party. The local authority elections take place throughout the State on the same day as the European Parliament elections. The party is trying to unite its local organisations to campaign for united party tickets containing erstwhile rivals from Labour and DL. The results will provide tangible indications as to whether the new party, as its proponents say it will be, is greater than the sum of its parts.

Before it can outline a distinct left-of-centre vision and begin to sell it consistently Labour must get over some serious personality conflicts. Early in February Quinn is to name the front bench of the new party. It is difficult to see how he can provide substantial portfolios to Proinsias de Rossa, Pat Rabbitte, Eamonn Gilmore and Liz McManus without seriously upsetting some of his existing front bench. However, any conflict between senior figures that becomes publicly known will damage the party's self-drawn image of unity.

And then, of course, there's the contest for the European Parliament in the Dublin constituency. Labour is now committed to running two candidates - sitting MEP Bernie Malone and soon to be party president Proinsias De Rossa. With Patricia McKenna defending her seat and Tony Gregory contemplating a run, it will take a truly exceptional performance for Labour to win two seats. Malone and De Rossa know this. The media will happily rerun the Bernie Malone versus Orla Guerin saga of 1994 as the Bernie vs Proinsias story. This factor alone has potential to cause serious damage to efforts to market a new united party of ideas.

Throughout the State there are various potential flashpoints as efforts are made to merge local Labour and Democratic Left organisations. Local politics produces individuals with ambitions to be elected to local authorities.

Next June's local authority elections could therefore be a battleground within Labour rather than simply between it and other parties.

However a "shared leadership" team has been established to try to avoid precisely such conflicts. Ruairi Quinn, Proinsias De Rossa, Brendan Howlin, Emmet Stagg and another DL figure will meet regularly to adjudicate on local rows and difficulties. If they manage to smooth over these problems they could yet have a good year.

A party conference is scheduled for the spring. It is bound to be a high profile and novel occasion, bringing Quinn, De Rossa and all the high-profile figures from the two parties together at one conference for the first time. It will be used as the real launching pad for the merged party. Expect many shots of Quinn and De Rossa holding each other's hands in the air to tumultuous applause. Expect also an allout effort to present an original sounding vision for the future. It will be the opportunity to launch the campaign for the June elections. A good showing in June would provide immense confidence to the party. A poor result would be deeply demoralising.