The Labour Party’s priority is to restore the economic fortunes of the country and to get people back to work, that is according to Galway East TD Colm Keaveney.
Deputy Keaveney reiterated his party’s commitment after being elected to take on the role of chairperson at the Labour Party national conference which was held at NUI Galway last weekend, a position he will hold until the conclusion of the next annual conference. As part of his new role Deputy Keaveney will also chair the meetings of the party’s executive board and its central committee.
Speaking at the national conference after his election as party chairperson, Deputy Keaveney said: “As a party we need to improve our communication to Labour supporters as if we cannot persuade Labour members about what they are doing, then we have little or no chance of persuading the country. Labour people have to persuade their neighbours, their communities, about the road ahead.
"Sometimes the parliamentary process can be insulated and you can live in a bubble. I have had the great privilege of listening to Labour members from around the country over the last few weeks campaigning and listening to what they have had to say, and what I have established is that we are doing a good job in Government, but we are doing a mediocre job in telling people what we are doing in Government. And that’s not spin-doctoring — it’s different, it’s engagement, it’s participation."
Deputy Keaveney concluded: "I want to thank my two colleagues Brian O'Shea, the outgoing chairperson, and my fellow Galway man, Derek Nolan TD, for an energetic contest. It is a sign of life in political parties that such positions are vigorously contested and that a debate of ideas and values be a part of that."
