I am confident the Irish people will, in their own discernment, look after the Labour Party

Brendan Howlin comparing Fine Gael without the ‘balancing’ role of Labour to Britain’s Tories

Brendan Howlin Picture: Fergal Ward

Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin was never a supporter of tying the Labour Party too closely to Fine Gael in the run-in to a general election. He opposed the ‘Mullingar accord’ agreed between Labour and Fine Gael for a joint policy platform in the 2007 general election, which proved to be far more beneficial to Fine Gael.

Now, ahead of Labour’s pre-election conference in Mullingar this weekend, Howlin is putting a clear ...