Joseph Muscat’s appearance on the campaign trail is ruffling feathers within the Labour Party as countless candidates raise concerns over how their district rivals are pandering to the disgraced former Prime Minister.

A wealth of candidates contesting in the election, including MPs and Cabinet members like Rosianne Cutajar, Deo Debattista and Glen Bedingfield, have turned to Muscat to help secure their seats beyond 2022.

The move has irked some candidates and party insiders, who feel that Muscat is trying to stamp his claws into the parliamentary group beyond 2022. Meanwhile, there are concerns that the constant appearance and news coverage of Muscat is undermining Prime Minister Robert Abela’s leadership.

Muscat, who has turned up at campaign launches and delivered speeches to roaring crowds, has also offered his support to some fresh faces, including Keith Azzopardi Tanti, the current Pieta Mayor.

The former Prime Minister still enjoys significant popularity among Labour voters, even though he was forced to resign following years of alleged corruption and his office’s links to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Some candidates know that his support will make all the difference come election day, but other candidates in the Labour Party are shocked to see them turning to Muscat.

On the condition of anonymity and fear of reprisal, candidates felt the move would be disastrous for swing voters and critics unsure whether the party had learned from its mistakes in 2019, as so often said by party figures after the crisis.

One even said that the decision to bring Muscat “spits in the face” of Abela’s leadership and that it only serves to weaken his leadership in the eyes of critics.

And while Abela has failed to publicly criticise Muscat’s campaigning, sources said that he might effectively be hamstrung into doing so because of Muscat’s popularity among PL voters.

However, that sentiment was not shared by all, with one candidate saying that they have no problem with Muscat’s endorsement of other candidates while stressing that they would not turn to the tactic.

Still, there are concerns that Muscat is using the campaign to maintain his influence within the party beyond 2022. The current parliamentary group remains moulded very much in his image and is on the whole loyal to the former Prime Minister.

Muscat even revealed that most of the MPs still contact him on a regular basis. And while he has said he will not be contesting in this general election, he has very much left the door open to a return to the political fray.

What do you think of Muscat’s campaigning?