History professor and former Labour general secretary Dominic Fenech has warned his party against losing its soul by "pussyfooting" to pander to voters.

In an interview being published in The Sunday Times said militancy, not in the physical sense, was lacking in the party.

"What I am referring to is a readiness to fight a battle. Political parties should have a cause they want to pursue. You cannot pussyfoot on every issue you tackle."

He said that the name change and discouraging people from waving red flags were all an attempt to water down what he was calling militancy.

"I happen to like the red flag with the torch in it. The torch is fire; it is a living thing. The torch can bring changes - bad changes, good changes. It also lights the way ahead. So there's a symbolism to it. To discard or discourage the torch (emblem) because some Nationalists might find it offensive - that I cannot accept."

The full interview can be seen at:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091122/interview/crosses-censors-and-new-labour