Sir, – The venerable political veteran Pat Rabbitte is on dangerous ground weighing in on the UK Labour leadership fight ("Corbyn would be 'big mistake' for British Labour, Rabbitte says," August 20th).
What appears to be a radical shift to the left – stand-out favourite Jeremy Corbyn commonly refers to colleagues as “comrades” – seems to be a reckoning by its traditional base of British Labour’s serial abandonment of core principles in the quest for re-election. Perhaps this is what makes Mr Rabbitte so uncomfortable? Irish Labour is seriously contemplating a pre-election pact with Fine Gael, a party which should really be at the opposite end of Labour’s values, and to what end?
Obviously re-election, and Irish Labour's base is no less put out than its UK counterpart if the polls are any guide. What lies ahead, Mr Rabbitte? To quote Guardian columnist George Monbiot: "What is attractive about a party prepared to abandon its core values for electoral gain? What is inspiring about a party that grovels, offering itself as a political doormat for any powerful interest or passing fad to wipe its feet on?"
He was referring to UK Labour, of course, but doesn’t the cap fit Irish Labour?
– Yours, etc,
JOHN MULCAHY
Portsalon,
Co Donegal.