The truth stands out

Desmond Zammit Marmarà inadvertently let the cat out of the bag (July 29). Without knowing, he made it clear to one and all that Labour cannot be trusted, for the simple reason that they have not changed.

His statement that "the 1970s were Labour's heyday" was shattered by his own admission that "then came Alfred Sant and transformed the party, purging it of its violent hangers on". Finally, there is a Labour supporter admitting that in the 1970s Labour's behaviour was violent. Maybe one of these days he will also admit that they were also undemocratic.

What really is surprising about Labour's heyday of the 1970s is that the Labour Party's diehards were the only ones who appreciated those glorious days.

With Dr Sant at the helm, according to Mr Zammit Marmara, the party was transformed to New Labour, resulting in the great electoral victory of 1996. A victory that saw Labour implement unreasonable and tough measures that required unrealistic sacrifices from the population. The government we had then was not the one that was promised by Alfred Sant's spin doctors.

Surely, even Mr Zammit Marmarà is bound to accept that that was electoral deceit. Otherwise, he would have not written his concluding statement. He would not have said "If the MLP under Dr Sant can build excellent relations with the European Socialists and pursue positive domestic and foreign policies against a background of a more open and democratic party and sustain a reaching out campaign among all sectors of the Maltese population..."

His statement is clear, an admission of wishful thinking, a desire for change. Even the most ardent Labour supporters, including Mr Zammit Marmarà believe that Labour has not as yet changed.