Labour 'has no mandate' says party's Westmeath TD

Labour party TD for Longford-Westmeath, Willie Penrose, has said his party has 'no mandate' to form part of the next Government.

In a statement issued after a meeting of the Labour parliamentary party today (Wednesday), Deputy Penrose said it was incumbent on other parties to form a stable Government.

'The people in the course of the recent election gave a mandate to particular parties to go ahead and form a government, and eight weeks on, it is now incumbent on those parties to do just that,' said the Ballynacargy man.

'It is the view of the Parliamentary Labour Party, that we did not get such a mandate.

'Labour is a centre-left party and we have a proud history of being prepared to serve in government. We are a party of action, not words, and pontificating and proselytising from the safety of the opposition benches is not what we are about. In that way, we are different from many other parties.

'However, it is clear that on this occasion, the offering we made to the electorate to form part of a stable administration, was rejected.

'Those that did get a mandate must honour their responsibilities to the electorate and end this period of political instability and paralysis,' he concluded.