Two days after Labour ‘lost’ one of its more enterprising women, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who declared that she will not contest the next election, the Labour Party was boosted with the news that Deborah Schembri, the face of the pro-divorce movement, will be standing on its behalf.

Ms Coleiro Preca first said that she will be abstaining in the vote on the divorce bill as this goes against her principles, and later announced that she is bringing her political career to a close. After nearly 40 years of service to the Labour Party, in various positions which include the post of general secretary (she was the first and, so far, the only woman to hold such a position), Ms Coleiro Preca believes that it is time to move on.

Mr Coleiro Preca was understandably offended that she had been heckled because of the stand she was taking on the divorce bill. She said she had always believed that divorce is not the solution, and seeing that her position is quite different from that held by most other Labour MPs, she felt it was the right time to announce that she will see this term out but will not seek re-election.

It is certainly a huge loss for Labour. Ms Coleiro Preca was among the most active MPs on the Labour side. She was not always right in her assessments and evaluations, but her intentions were always straightforward and positive.

The participation of women in local politics is limited to a handful on either side of the political spectrum. To lose one of them is detrimental to the overall scenario, but Ms Coleiro Preca’s decision must be respected.

The Labour Party will however “replace” her with the best possible substitute – Deborah Schembri, who shot to fame during the campaign on divorce, will be a great asset to the party.

Over the past weeks, Dr Schembri has come across as a well-versed, calm and approachable person who will do a world of good to local politics. She is a fresh addition to the scene, and if she manages to maintain the charisma and convincing attributes she showed during the divorce campaign, she is set to have an excellent career in politics.

Her public-speaking skills are already known; what she should realize is that speaking on just one subject is one thing, and being involved in local politics in the wider sense of the word is another matter.