Burton rules out coalition with Sinn Féin

Labour leader Joan Burton has ruled out cutting a power-sharing deal with Sinn Féin after the next general election.

Burton rules out coalition with Sinn Féin

Labour leader Joan Burton has ruled out cutting a power-sharing deal with Sinn Féin after the next general election.

The Tánaiste said she could “certainly not” see a coalition with Gerry Adams’ party because of their differences on economic policies.

Ms Burton insisted Labour would not indulge in the “populism” of Sinn Féin to gain votes - despite plunging in the opinion polls.

“I find it difficult to see where we would find a common platform on an economic programme.

“I think that economic populism, obviously, is very attractive, I suppose in a certain sense it brings to mind comparisons between, if you like, Sinn Féin and a kind of old Fianna Fáil, that there's a kind of a 'one for everyone in the audience' mentality.

“I find it difficult to envisage the Labour Party being part of an utterly populist platform which would simply offer free take-outs for everybody, with no sense then of how to deal with the consequences.” Ms Burton said.

The Tánaiste accused the opposition parties of engaging in a “carnival of reaction” where they were against everything.

“We have among a number of the Independents and among people on the extreme right and on the extreme left, and also to some degree in Sinn Fein, the growing development of a kind of, an economic nihilism, where nothing in Ireland is of any merit - or merits any respect - that no plan, no strategy, is sufficient.

“And so we're at a position where, in a certain sense, there's kind of been in Ireland among the Opposition parties this year, a bit of a carnival of reaction where they essentially have said, 'We wish to tear down everything'.

“Hence, on the ultra-left you have this idea that you would default on debt, after the problem has been largely fixed,” the Tánaiste said.

With Labour slumping to just 5% in some opinion polls, Ms Burton would not be drawn on how many seats she expected the party to retain at the next general election, which she said would take place in the Spring of 2016.

“I think that rebuilding the Labour party is going to take a bit of time and I think it’s very much dependent on people feeling that the country is moving and that people themselves are moving to a better place in terms of work in particular.

“I anticipate and I want to be the leader of the Labour party that will actually return the Labour party with a very high level of representation at the next Dáil and return the party to government and that’s how we will approach the people when we come to the election,” the Tánaiste said.

Labour returned 37 TDs in 2011 with a record 19% of the vote, but some observers predict the party could only be left with a hand full of deputies next time out given its dismal ratings.

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