Pat Rabbitte announces resignation as Labour Leader

Posted on August 23, 2007 at 04:51 PM

Today at 3.30pm Deputy Pat Rabbitte in front of a packed out press conference announced his intention to stand down as leader of the Labour Party effective immediately.

Leader since October 2002, Pat's election was the first party leadership to be elected based on the votes of rank and file members. He was first elected to the Dail in 1989.

Speaking at the press conference Pat said: "In national politics the only cycle that matters is from Dail to Dail My six year term as Party Leader runs to October 2008. My staying on for another year would only make sense if I intended contesting a second term. It is not my intention to do so. Therefore at the beginning of the lifetime of a new Dáil is the opportune time to elect a new Leader and allow him or her find their feet before Local and European Elections."

Deputy Liz McManus will stand in as Acting Leader until the leadership election which will be held in the autumn. You can read Pat's full statement here and you can read Liz McManus's tribute here.

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