War in Yugoslavia divides Labour

To say all will be sweetness and light when the comrades gather for the Labour conference in Tralee in two weeks' time would …

To say all will be sweetness and light when the comrades gather for the Labour conference in Tralee in two weeks' time would be somewhat of an understatement. The merger with DL may have gone smoothly on the surface but a number of issues were left unresolved and are now coming to a head with simmering resentments and a definite division between old and new. As predicted, the arguments against the merger have not gone away. They were about jobs and seats and have now been added to by a policy difference that the war in Yugoslavia brought to the surface publicly and quickly. Both divisions concern the new party president, former DL leader Proinsias de Rossa. Choosing between two difficult electoral contests, he opted to fight for Europe instead of the Dail, and now faces sitting Labour MEP Bernie Malone in a contest for what all but the party spinners believe is the only one left seat in Dublin. The competition between the two will be so fierce that Labour could end up with no seat at all in June.

Labour won't run two in the forthcoming by-election in Dublin South Central but so divided is the constituency between old Labour supporters, who want someone - preferably a relative - from the Pat Upton camp, and the DL people, who back former deputy Eric Byrne, that the party is making no effort at all to move the writ. The obvious occasion would be Euro and local election day, June 11th, but few relish open warfare. Then there's the war about the war. Differences over membership of Partnership for Peace were predicted but all-out war in Yugoslavia and disagreements between the party president/foreign affairs spokesman on the one hand and the leader on the other were not. De Rossa's far-left background makes it difficult for him to condemn Miloslevic, let alone back NATO bombing. It will be an interesting May bank holiday conference. While the comrades will pay tribute to Dick Spring in his home town for his 15 years as leader, the debate welcoming the merger is likely to be lively. Ruairi Quinn will have his work cut out keeping peace between the various factions.