Labour MEP Daniel Attard wants Jason Micallef back at party HQ as deputy leader

Labour MEP Daniel Attard has said he wants former secretary general Jason Micallef to return to the party’s executive as deputy leader.

“Jason is a grass-roots labourite. He climbed the ranks within the party structures through hard work, not pretensions,” the newly elected MEP said on Facebook.

The Labour Party will elect two deputy leaders on 13 September with a runoff slated a day later if no contestant obtains an absolute majority.

Elections will also be held for 12 members of the executive and the party’s administration.

Writing on Facebook on Wednesday morning, Attard said that many, including him, feel Micallef would be the perfect fit for deputy leader.

“He successfully led various internal party structures and election campaigns, and later executed a complete transformation of our media channels,” Attard said. “Jason is dedicated to whatever he commits to.”

He said Micallef has been central to Valletta’s regeneration and “is doing the same” at the National Park in Ta’ Qali.

Attard also went on to quote Labour leader and Prime Minister Robert Abela that “with Jason Micallef you can rest assured that he will work and deliver.”

“Above all, Jason is consistent and has integrity. You may not agree with him, but with him, you know where you stand. Therefore, I consider his credentials suitable, if not the best, for what the Labour Party needs in the role of Deputy Leader,” he said.

Just last week, Micallef was calling for the party to remove the CEO role, and bring back the Secretary General post as part of wider reform needed by the party.

“Today, more than ever, it is clear that the Labour Party is needs the position of Secretary-General. Not only because this is a natural post in every political party in the world, but also because the position of CEO no longer makes sense,” he said on Facebook.

The Secretary General post had been removed from Labour in 2010 under former leader Joseph Muscat, and had been replaced with a non-elected CEO role.