# Pressure builds on Labour as austerity bites: Collapse, part two

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-politics-with-hugh-linehan-1630151/pressure-builds-on-labour-as-austerity-bites-collapse-part-two
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-politics-with-hugh-linehan-1630151/pressure-builds-on-labour-as-austerity-bites-collapse-part-two.md
Podcast: [Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan](https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-politics-with-hugh-linehan-1630151)
Published: 2026-04-06T03:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/inside-politics-2/episodes/pressure-builds-on-labour-as-it-delivers-austerity-collapse
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6155db9059a3fa00137f30a9/e/69d2c4b1d2e95f5131e49331/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/inside-politics-with-hugh-linehan-1630151/episodes/pressure-builds-on-labour-as-austerity-bites-collapse-part-two
Duration seconds: 2580

## Resource

Inside Politics is coming to Galway in May for a live recording. Get your tickets here . In part two of this three-part series on Labour's harrowing experience in government from 2011 to 2016, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan follow the story of the first three years of that austerity-delivering coalition. As punishing budget after punishing budget was delivered, Labour struggled to retain its political identity and principles while working with Fine Gael to present a united front to a world that saw Ireland as an economic basket case. Successes - exiting the EU-IMF bailout programme, securing legislation on abortion - are completely overshadowed by the harshness of austerity. For Labour and its party leader Eamon Gilmore, the political damage mounts. Listen to part one here . 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.

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## Transcript

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