Four ministers eye Labour’s deputy post

The European Parliament Election tops the Labour Party’s agenda for now but another important date looms on the horizon.  

In January of this year, following a surprise reshuffle, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne will be Malta’s nominee for European Commissioner. 

Should Fearne’s nomination be approved by the European Parliament after the June elections, it would mean that after the summer the Labour Party would have to elect a new deputy leader for parliamentary affairs. 

Labour insiders speaking to MaltaToday said jockeying for the post has already started among party delegates and locality committees. Sources said Education Minister Clifton Grima, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard have made their interest in the post known to aides. Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg may also consider a run for the post, they added. 

The PL statute states that only MPs can contest the post of deputy leader parliamentary affairs and the vote will be held among delegates of the general conference. The winner will have to obtain 50%+1 of the votes and if none of the contestants obtains such a result, the top two will take part in a runoff. 

Sources within the party say Robert Abela will push for a trusted confidant for the post, but Labour’s history suggests the leader’s favourite does not always clinch the deputy leadership.  

Fearne was elected deputy leader in the summer of 2017 having been the dark horse in a three-way race with Helena Dalli and Edward Scicluna for the post vacated by Louis Grech. Dalli was touted as former leader Joseph Muscat’s favourite, with Scicluna also being regarded as acceptable to the former PM, but it was Fearne who secured the delegate’s vote.  

Since the start of the year, Silvio Schembri and Jonathan Attard have been given more visibility by the Prime Minister. Schembri was reassigned the economy portfolio in January’s reshuffle and piloted the food price stability scheme that has helped to dampen inflationary pressure. 

Attard was also given the portfolio responsible for reforms in the construction sector and along with Schembri and Byron Camilleri forms part of an inter-ministerial committee tasked to implement the recommendations of the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry. 

Grima retained the education and sports portfolio in January’s reshuffle and is currently locked in protracted talks with the MUT over a new collective agreement for educators.