Labour has come in for some criticism about its vote on Clare Daly's private member's bill this week in the Dail. On the surface, it looks like Labour's TDs voted against legislating for abortion. It's time to set the record straight, before misconceptions spiral out of control.
Labour TDs - the ones who were turned up - didn't vote against abortion, they simply didn't vote for legislating for the X-Case and that's totally different. Furthermore, the voting strategy of Labour had nothing to do with parliamentary gamesmanship or engaging party political tactics. This was about waiting for the report from the Expert Group - the bits that weren't leaked - and coming to a rational and responsible decision in due course, a mere 20 years after the Supreme Court were capricious enough to rule in favour of a teenage rape victim terminating a pregnancy she never wanted.
Having come out from under their desks, Labour are now standing tall (look at Brendan Howlin) and taking a principled lead. Never mind that every Fine Gaeler, the TDs of the senior coalition partner, voted against the bill. Sure, FG is the party of Michelle Mulherin, the Devil's Nuala, and stands for cut backs to, well, everyone. Literally. With a machete. At least that's how it's been since Garret left and took the party's only functioning braincell back to Palmerstown Road without telling Alan Dukes.
No no, Labour are making a brave stand for proper legisl...regul....whatever Eamon and Enda tell them to stand for, and not what James Reilly blurts out either and then flatly denies saying, one second later.
This is about leadership and meeting groups of experts. Nothing more. All in its own good time.
This is intellectual rigour (mortis).
