Could Labour have done anything to avoid electoral wipeout in 2016? Collapse, part three

Could Labour have done anything to avoid electoral wipeout in 2016? Collapse, part three

From Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan by The Irish Times

April 8, 2026 · 52 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Labour's decline in popularity and electoral performance from 2011 to 2016, exploring whether the party could have avoided its significant losses in the 2016 general election.

In the final instalment of our series on Labour’s time in government from 2011 to 2016, things get darker as it becomes clear economic progress will not be enough for voters to forgive the party for its role in austerity. Labour’s poor showing in the 2014 local and European elections leads to a change at the top. But Joan Burton’s leadership does not revive Labour’s fortunes. Then, when the disenchanted take to the streets to oppose water charges, the scale of public anger becomes clear - and much of it is still directed at Labour. To wrap up the story, Pat and Hugh talk about the roads not travelled. Could Labour have avoided its 2016 general election wipeout, a political setback it has struggled to recover from ever since? Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Hugh Linehan

Topics covered

  • Labour Party
  • electoral politics
  • austerity
  • public protest
  • leadership change
  • 2016 election

Keywords

  • Labour Party
  • 2016 election
  • austerity
  • public anger
  • Joan Burton
  • political decline
  • water charges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labour, Irish Times

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