As they approach their first year in Government the Labour Party have held carefully choreographed meetings of party members before their equally carefully choreographed conference in Galway next month.

Last night about 200 members met in Stillorgan to question Eamon Gilmore on the party’s actions in government on subjects including the Vatican Embassy, tax breaks for investors and the like.

Independently of the head office verbal dances, a grass roots members meeting is being held in Dublin this Saturday.  Entitled the Labour Members Forum, the organisers have sent out word far and wide.

A group of grassroots Labour members from a broad range of constituencies have come together to start a discussion about how we as members believe our party can deliver on the values of the Labour Party. We are organising a Labour Party Members’ Forum, “What can Labour do in government?” on Saturday 18th February in Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin. The Forum is aimed at grassroots members of the Labour party, to hear and debate alternative policy solutions to Ireland’s social and economic challenges.

Speakers confirmed  include Dr. Mary Murphy (NUI, Maynooth), Michael Taft (UNITE), Mags O’Brien (SIPTU), John Douglas (ICTU), Orla O’Connor (National Women’s Council of Ireland) and Tom Healy (ICTU).

Labour Party Head Office seem to have themselves in a quandry as they try to find who has organised the meeting with a very interesting line up.  A little birdie tells me it kicks off at 10.30am and runs all day in Wynnes Hotel.  Maybe head office will send along someone to take notes.  More information from Labourmembersforum(@)gmail.com