Dublin's Rotunda hospital will witness another birth tomorrow afternoon when 250 or so members of the old Labour and Democratic Left parties gather in the Pillar Room to mark their merger and the formation of new Labour. The comrades will bury their rivalry, launch a new logo, join hands over a glass of wine and look forward to a bright new millennium which, they believe, will witness the Republic's first left-led government.
The new front bench will be announced by party leader Ruairi Quinn on Monday or Tuesday and the enlarged parliamentary party will meet on Wednesday morning before the Dail resumes after the Christmas recess. There is much angst about how the portfolios will be divvied up, but jobs are expected to be found for all four newcomers. Because the new president, Proinsias De Rossa, will no longer be a party leader and his profile in the Dail will consequently diminish he is likely to be given a spokesmanship. Indeed, all 21 Labour deputies who want roles will get them, but a few elder statesmen, such as Dick Spring, may opt out of front-bench responsibilities. New Labour will be a much more aggressive animal than we have seen in the last 18 months. Quinn has already been on the offensive against Bertie Ahern over Pee Flynn last weekend and the aim is to be more personal in targeting individual ministers. Indeed it is suggested that the heavy guns, such as Pat Rabbitte, will mark the Government's vulnerable areas such as health and justice.