In a month’s time – to be more precise by 6 June – the MLP should either have a new leader in place or else be in the process of electing him or her as leader in a second ballot that is statutorily bound to take place on 6 June itself.
The other day an independent commentator who has now committed himself publicly and visibly in support of a particular front-runner stated that what the party needs is a doer and not a dreamer.
I personally think that the successful candidate must be both a dreamer and a doer. A visionary. A manager and a leader.
If you have a doer without vision you stand the chance of having a robotic man or woman at the helm.
Meanwhile someone who is just a dreamer can only dream on.
But on the other hand someone who can combine both ingredients can offer the right kind of vision that can also serve as a road map not just for the short term but also for the medium term and long term.
All candidates have been boasting of their credentials, particularly their experience, but I think that at this stage one should stop to ponder and reflect on what they really mean by experience.
Experience in what?
In doing what?
And in delivering what?
By that I obviously have the political arena strictly in mind.
At the expense of repeating it ad nauseam, within a month we will have decided what kind of Labour Party we hope to have in the coming years.
Will it be an inward-looking party, a neo-conservative party which will become indistinguishable from a centre right party, a neo-liberal party, or a party with modern social democratic credentials, a progressive party, or a party of the status quo or a throw back to the past where nostalgia tends to prevail over all other sentiments?
It was not only interesting to watch and track the various public activities that the leadership candidates have been organising but also the style and approach they resorted to.
From the type of audiences they had, from the fora they chose, from the pitch they made even beyond the realm of the party delegates and members, one could easily tell that the five of them seem to have an entirely different concept of what ‘outreach’ really means.
What I very much regret is that so far not all the candidates have been that clear on where they stand on specific issues.
To me this matters a lot as it provides the best opportunity of understanding better the candidates’ mind set, priorities, mentality, outlook and perspective.
Not all have been that clear as to how they really intend to engage with the younger generation. I say so regardless of the age of the candidates involved.
While middle-aged people and senior citizens rightly rank peace of mind as an uppermost priority, youth want opportunities, change and a modern non-confessional approach that can combine liberal thinking with the basic tenets of economic efficiency and social justice without throwing into thin air our basic values. What they surely do not want is complacency and someone who is merely interested in cosmetic change.
Many today give very little importance to dogma and ideology, although some still feel that they want to identify themselves as being part of the left or right. With this in mind the successful candidate’s major task will be to show how both perspectives can be respected and that the contemporary middle ground and social democracy can be both made relevant by helping them achieve such opportunities and counter any threats that the globalised era might pose.
The problem with certain politicians is that regardless of whether they are lawyers or not by profession they tend to indulge in law-speak when addressing their audiences.
This was very evident in the last few days on both TV and in the printed media.
Recently there was a whole debate as to whether the party should have a manager or a leader.
I personally think that the successful candidate should prove to be both. And above all a politician.
A leader with a business plan and no political vision is not worth his salt.
On the other hand a leader with a political vision and no business plan is bound to end up as a dreamer.
But the worst case scenario is to have someone who neither has political vision nor a business plan approach but solely a plan based on ‘an at all costs’ power grab yearning.
A few days ago a correspondent writing in the columns of another newspaper argued that we should vote for candidate X for real change.
He argued that we need a man (why be so sexist?) who can push Labour to the centre of Malta’s political spectrum and close the chapter of old fashioned, unelectable and socialist policies. Someone who will get rid of the extremists who seem to be trapped in a time warp. A strong leader who can do whatever is necessary to rebuild the trust the party lost with the middle classes, floating voters and youth.
I could not but agree more, especially when he said that Labour needs change, not in a cosmetic musical chairs way, but a change in mentality, style and last but not least, leadership.
After seeing what type of crowds and audiences the front runners have been drawing not only is it becoming increasingly evident, but I am sure that during this coming month party delegates will become even more than ever convinced, who are the candidates who might be in a position to genuinely and truly address these challenges.
Our dilemma is British Labour’s dilemma.
We need to find a way of reconnecting with disillusioned voters.
We must focus on regaining public support.
To do so we need a leader who can help the party pull itself together and refocus as a party – outside and inside Parliament – to win the next general election.
David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, recently said that the Labour Party faced a test of character as well as a test of policy. So does Labour in Malta.
It is no mean feat, especially now that we are living in a globalised world to get back to basics especially when by basic I mean basic convictions, basic self confidence and basic unity while recognising the need to reinvent the party after not having had a majority of votes since the 1976 general elections (bar the 22-month interlude under the Sant administration).
Many people may consider conservative leader Cameron vacuous while others used to dismiss Blair as one who relied more on style than substance.
But at the same time they not only had a sense of political timing, and a winning personality, but also a natural ability to communicate and connect with people outside the closed world of politics.
This I believe is the secret of success for Labour whoever the winner may be.
This Friday an extraordinary general conference will be held by the party to discuss a motion as to whether voting for the new party leader should be extended to all paid up party members. Although I have my personal views on the matter I will respect the decision of the delegates. I sincerely hope that so will the rest of us do too!
Sir Anthony Mamo – a symbol of dignity,
humility, integrity and national unity
Few words are necessary to pay tribute to the first ever President of the Republic. He was a symbol of dignity, humility, integrity and national unity.
This was not only evidenced by the state funeral that was deservedly accorded to him but also by the blogs on a local daily’s on line web site. They hailed from all political quarters. From hard line socialists to modern social democrats, to staunch Nationalists, and even people of extreme right wing tendencies.
No other President would have managed and is likely to win such genuine sympathy from such a diverse rainbow of political views that spanned right across the whole political spectrum.
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Leo Brincat is a Labour MP and opposition spokesman for Foreign Affairs and IT.