Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1270964
4 Lame duck Delia suits Labour as it grapples with post-Mus- cat legacy and COVID pains Labour should be facing its own devils as it comes to terms with the corruption and dirty deals of the Muscat era, and struggling to contain the eco- nomic fall-out of the COV- ID-19 pandemic. Despite the exemplary handling of the pan- demic, as well as kicking out former ministers Chris Cardo- na and Konrad Mizzi, Abela has to contend with the legacy of Joseph Muscat, whose populari- ty inside Labour remains intact. Having a divided opposition led by someone whose survival is at stake means they cannot give Labour a run for its money: the polls say so. With such in- ternal strife, Delia remains the key to a Labour super-majority. And by staying on after his dou- ble no-confidence votes, Delia ensures the PN does not even stand a fighting chance. The more Labour loves him, the more diminished Delia gets in the eyes of PN voters Labour pundits like Robert Musumeci shower Delia with praise to target the generical- ly termed "holier than thou" faction of old Nationalists and their sense of entitlement. But the catch-all phrase also attacks those who question Labour's abysmal good governance cre- dentials. With the red-car- pet treatment he got on Brian Hansford's Realtà on TVM – which is directed at a Labour audience – Delia gets no trac- tion and only sympathy from those who would never dream of voting Nationalist. And this friendly embrace from Labour is totally lethal for the PN lead- er, because it neutralises any pungent attacks on Labour's corrupt deals, and alienates in- transigent PN voters. It also strengthens the per- ception that Delia is Labour's 'useful idiot'. Embarrassed by well-wishers from Labour, De- lia is forced to increase his at- tack on Labour, in turn alien- ating moderate voters. In this game, Labour's love sows more chaos in the PN, because it has no interest in seeing Delia growing stronger in the PN. La- bour's wet dream is a prolonged civil war inside the PN, with Delia sticking it out for as long as he came. Even if he survives as a lame duck leader, Delia cannot assert himself in his par- ty. And in this sense, even the exasperation of the rebels plays into Labour's hands, because their unrelenting war ensures Delia will have no real chance of winning over the electorate. Delia's attacks on government boomerang on himself and the PN because of his baggage and antics Delia has had his own bril- liant moments in confronting Labour's corruption, especially by challenging the sale of pub- lic hospitals in the law courts and through his firm initial re- action to the 17 Black scandal. But every time Delia goes on the attack, he ends up on the receiving end of controversy simply because of his baggage. Like finding himself obscurely investigated by the economic crimes unit on allegations of money laundering in his work as a private lawyer for the own- ers of Soho properties; or now because of leaked WhatsApp messages (whose content he denies) showing that he enter- maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JULY 2020 NEWS PN CRISIS Labour in love: six reasons the PL likes Adrian Delia An unlikely conspiracy theory on social media is that Adrian Delia, elected by rank and file Nationalist Party members and reconfirmed three years later by PN councillors, is a Labour stooge planted by eminence grise Keith Schembri to lead it astray. But there are six more rational reasons why Labour is happy with Delia staying at the helm, JAMES DEBONO writes 1 2 3