[Joan Burton and supporters on the ‘plinth’ at Leinster House yesterday]

Eamonn McCann writes:

“Labour leaders didn’t just embrace the austerity programme but gathered it to their bosoms, basked in the praise of right- wing commentators and Eurocrats and then boasted of their own courage in abandoning both the programme they had been elected on and the general interests of their natural supporters. Their mantra was: we have shown we are willing to take the hard decisions. In fact, they took the easy option at every turn…”

“…Economic and consequent social change underpins social democracy’s decline. Growth allows for reform and rising living standards without doing damage to the system, which is what social democracy exists to deliver. But when the system slows and seizes up, social democratic parties are incapable of winning reforms to benefit those in the bottom half of society.

They are then faced with a choice: either forget about government and challenge the system at a fundamental level, or betray those who have supported you in order to shore the system up. Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte, Joan Burton and the rest made their choice and may never be forgiven.”

Labour’s disastrous election reflects the crisis in European social democracy (Eamonn McCann, Irish Times)

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)