SO who is going to be the next leader of the Irish Labour party after Ruairi Quinn steps down in October?
What makes this election so interesting is that it will be the first time in the history of the State that the entire member-ship of a major political party will choose its leader.
This makes the out-come all that more difficult to predict would CJH, Albert Reynolds or Bertie have made it if the rank and file in Fianna Fail had their say?
And what would have happened with Enda Kenny, Michael Noonan, John Bruton and Alan Dukes if it was the Fine Gael members did the selection. Alan Dukes could well be still at the helm in the latter case.
In my opinion, it was a case of the most able man in the country being ditched by the enemy within because he was putting his country before his party.
For now, anyway, the question is who will be the next leader of Labour?
If it was the old method of selection by the TDs themselves I d imagine that Brendan Howlin would be a certainty but what the new ball game brings us is that bit of uncertainty which adds to the interest of the contest if nothing else.
The leading contenders for the post are Brendan Howlin (46), Eamon Gilmore (47) and Pat Rabbitte (53).
Joan Burton and Willie Penrose, who has put up quite a good show in Westmeath in the last few elections, are other names being mentioned.
Both Rabbitte and Gilmore were first elected to the Dail on a Work-ers Party ticket and it is likely that they will decide amongst themselves who will go for the top job.
Brendan Howlin hails from W xford, a constituency that sent another leader of the Labour party, Brendan Corish, and Dail Eireann.
Personally, I feel that the most able contender for the post in Pat Rabbitte.
He has got that extra dimension that seems to be lacking in the others.
But will the rank and file hold his original Workers Party ticket against him or does that hold any weight at all?
The fact that he is seven years older than Brendan Howlin should be in his favour as the latter could again live to fight another day, while Rabbitte might not be young enough to do just that.
About 3,500 paid up members of Labour are entitled to vote. Nominations for both the post of leader and deputy leader of the party w ill open this Wednesday and will close on September 18.
Ballot papers will be sent to members by post not later than October 4 and the poll will close at noon on October 25.
The method of election will be by a single transferrable vote and the votes will be counted like those at a presidential election.
Paddy Powers odds on the outcome are: 4/6: Brendan Howlin, 3/1: Eamonn Gilmore, 6/1: Pat Rabbitte, 6/1: Liz McManus, 7/1 Tommy Broughtan, 7/1 Willie Penrose. Howlin is certainly the man to beat but Rabbitte seems the value bet at 6/1.
