Labour briefing:Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte yesterday ended any lingering doubts over his post-election coalition intentions by firmly ruling out going into government with Fianna Fáil. In his firmest statement to date on the issue, Mr Rabbitte said: "I have no intention of doing any business with Fianna Fáil. I thought I had made that clear 100 times."
In relation to electoral strategy, Mr Rabbitte said that he had risked his reputation as leader in constructing a platform with Fine Gael "to ensure the people will have the opportunity to elect an alternative government, and I have no intention of doing any business with Fianna Fáil".
Asked by Pat Kenny in an RTÉ Radio One interview if this meant there is no possibility of going into government with Fianna Fáil, Mr Rabbitte replied: "As far as I am concerned there isn't."
He was answering a question from a party member who had expressed concern that Mr Rabbitte's refusal to entirely rule out a coalition with Fianna Fáil could result in fewer transfers from Fine Gael on polling day.
In the Prime Time leader's debate on Wednesday night, Mr Rabbitte did not expressly say he would not go into government with Fianna Fáil. When asked by presenter Mark Little if he could see any situation in which he would do business with Fianna Fáil, he said it was his intention that Fianna Fáil is not in government after the election.
Despite being repeatedly questioned about his position on going into government with FF since January, he had not categorically ruled out the party as a potential coalition partner until yesterday. He said in the RTÉ Radio 1 interview that Labour has to get a certain number of deputies elected to the Dáil in order for it to be possible to put in place an alternative government of reform which would concentrate on the issues including health, schools and childcare.
He said there have been games played on the issue of coalition which were designed to try and put Labour out of the frame.
"Six months ago you try and sideline the Labour Party, put them out of the frame. We have to stay in the picture. But there is no doubt about my conviction. We need to put Fianna Fáil and the PDs into opposition." In the last election, the then Labour Party leader Ruairí Quinn expressed a preference to enter government with Fine Gael but refused to enter a pre-election pact. The strategy was widely regarded as costing the party votes.