Without soul-searching, apologies are useless This is why an internal process of soul searching in Labour should not be an act of self-flagellation, but rather a way of ensuring that the party can avoid such things happening again in the future 7 April 2021, 7:40am When asked by MaltaToday what steps Labour should take to restore its moral credentials, President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca weighed her words carefully. She did not speak capriciously; her call for an apology was not presented as a token gesture, but was accompanied by a series of far-reaching questions about the Labour Party’s identity. While the former President (both of the Republic, and of the Labour Party) has not indicated where such a discussion should take place, one would expect the PL to face its own ghosts in an appropriate forum - like the party’s general conference - and for the apology to take the form of a motion endorsed by the leadership.