Left Election

by Che Sun May 19, 2002 13:29

yes congratulations to Joe Higgins and also to Finian McGrath and the many independents who campaigned on health and other issues that are oppressing the poorest people in this country. Congratulations are also due to sinn fein and the greens, it is good that a percentage of people are looking for alternatives and not turning to the so called labour party, which has sold the people out on the Nice referendum and on social partnership with their friends in big business.

Hopefully the above parties and independents can work together at least on some issues and refrain from the temptations to squabble and to split hairs. This would just piss most people off and undo the good work done by the people on friday.

by Patrick Nulty Mon May 20, 2002 22:29 nultyp at tcd dot ie

As a member of the Labour party I resent the constant sniping and criticism of our party by other organisations. The Labour is the party of the irish labour movement throughout its history labour has sought to promote the interests ordinary people within a right wing political system and broadly conservative electorate. I respect and welcome the success of other leftist parties and candidates. It is typical of the left to fight with itself. We are now in a position of strength and it is vital that left wing parties fight with the right not with each other. Labour is crucial to this as its poltical future lies in being not the radical opposition to the government but in being the leading party of a future radical government.The Labour party has made many mistakes but it has also been a force for good.Lets not fight let the Left unite!

by Cillian Gillespie - Socialist Party Tue May 21, 2002 23:22 cilliangillespie at hotmail dot com

The labour party can no longer be regarded as being a party of the working class. It has dropped any adherence it had towards socialism and has completely embraced the free market. Not only that but its membership is now largely middle class in its content. It is absolutely to criticise the Labour Party. It had nothing to offer workers in this election except coalition with Fine Gael or Fianna Fail. While it put forward its ''six pledges'', an idea borrowed from Tony Blair and New Labour in Britain, it would have gladly been part of an administration which would have the conditions of working class people. Last time it was in government labour supported the massive tax amnesty for the rich while bringing in water charges, a form of double taxation on PAYE workers. Questions marks certainly hang over the future of this party as a viable political force. As workers move into struggle in the coming period the building of a new socialist alternative for working class receive a boost. As a result labour will be increasingly sidelined and will be consigned to the rubbishheap of history.

by Che Wed May 22, 2002 20:28

I welcome Patrick Nulty's reply and the opportunity to exchange views etc. But I strongly believe that if the labour party was genuine, activists like Patrick would not "resent the constant criticism" levied against it. They would examine and change the policies that cause this criticism. All groups/movements/parties should learn from constructive criticism, otherwise they are doomed to repeat similar mistakes.

I applaud the fact that you respect and welcome the success of other leftist parties and candidates, this is a hopeful sign that you are rising above sectarian party posturing. I also welcome the admission that "the Labour party has made many mistakes" However it is not enough to simply state this, these mistakes had consequences for poor people in this country while Labour Ministers in government prospered. Labour TD's and ministers also voted for and accepted huge injust increases in their salaries, while limiting non managerial workers to paltry increases under the conservative system of social partnership that their leaders support.

The Labour party must fully apologise for all this and more. It must also actively fight against globalisation, the EU, the world bank, and the WTO if it is to be taken seriously, or before it is even considered to be on the left at all. A good place to start would be to leave the right wing camp that supports the Nice treaty and fight on the same side as the left and greens against the the next Nice treaty.

Patrick correctly point out that "it is vital that left wing parties fight with the right not with each other" but in order to avail of that solidarity the Labour party has to leave the right wing in the first place. I hope to see some of the labour party on our side of the barricades some day, but then again I'm an optimist.

by Finghin - Socialist Youth Mon May 27, 2002 17:06

Lets be clear about these election results, The Greens/Sinn Féin/Helath Alliance offer no real alternative and will ultimately fail to deliver. They are fundamentally just anoter group of Bourgeois polititians. However the increased vote for these parties do show that people are looking for an alternative and have abandoned FG-LAb. In my view the only real alternative lies in the Socialist Party