The new Labour Party leader will have much to do. Far too much time and energy has been wasted in arguing over electoral strategy, to the detriment of a clear positive impression of what the party stands for and how its policies could change the lives of citizens for the better. A new leader will need energy, insight and a lucid political project to change such perceptions.
After a disappointing general election, outgoing leader Pat Rabbitte declared that Labour lacked a clear "brand". The situation is worse than that. The party has a recognisable brand. But it is not particularly enticing. It attracted only 10 per cent of voters in the last two general elections. And those results were considerably better than the long-term average secured by the party. They suggest the primary problems may be organisation and image, rather than strategy.
The late Frank Cluskey joked in the late 1980s that support for the party had shrunk to the margin of error in an opinion poll sample. Nothing as dire as that 3 per cent profile will face the new party leader. There is, however, a need for imagination, creativity and relevant policies if the heights reached in the so-called "Spring tide" of 1992 are to be revisited. The enthusiastic public reaction to Mr Rabbitte's pre-election proposal to cut the lower rate of income tax offers an interesting message.
The age profile of the party's 20 TDs is an obvious concern. While the Seanad campaign helped considerably, Labour urgently needs to revitalise its organisation and plan for the future. The local election campaign, in two years time, could be used to recruit new members while identifying and promoting potential Dáil candidates. Otherwise the party is likely to haemorrhage seats when the incumbents retire.
Modernising the party's image should not mean discarding core values. Labour has always opposed worker exploitation and championed a fair sharing of resources. But rapid economic change has muffled its message and fragmented its traditional support base. It now attracts more middle class than working class voters and is being challenged by Sinn Féin. Continuing inequality, particularly in relation to the provision of health services and education are obvious targets, as are social welfare reforms and housing availability. Poverty remains a serious problem. A social solidarity programme, linking middle and working class interests, has proved a successful political formula in many European countries. Such an approach could work here.