Press Launch of PbP Candidates

by PBPA - People Before Profit Alliance Thu May 07, 2009 18:45 info at peoplebeforeprofit dot ie

See report on
http://www.peoplebeforeprofit.ie/node/97

People Before Profit Launch Local Election Campaign with 13 candidates, including a new candidate in Dundalk, Syd Smith & the Alliance are calling for a Vote for Socialist Party Candidate Joe Higgins in the European Elections.

Also an Irish Times report here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0507/....html

by Drapier Thu May 07, 2009 20:33

IS that 9 swp and 4 independents?

by Fact Checker Thu May 07, 2009 22:38

How do you get four Independents? Fell is an independent. Dunne and Collins belong to the small CWAG organisation, but I presume that you are including them in your tally of "independents". Who else isn't in the SWP?

by Non-Dub Fri May 08, 2009 10:21

I thought from reading different PBP material here on Indymedia that Catherine Connolly, Chris O'Leary, Declan Breen and Seamus Healy were going to be PBP candidates. What happened that they're not listed?

by Drapier Sat May 09, 2009 00:57

I don't understand what the alliance is meant to be. If it is an alliance then why are the 10 (it seems to be 10) SWP members not standing as SWP candidates but as members of the alliance along with 2 CW?? and the 1 independent. It seems to be more of a party or a organisation than an alliance because no one is standing under the name of their own party.

I am also confused about the others already mentioned here. I thought from previous indy stories that the SWP and the others were linking up with Bree, Connolly, O'Leary and the Healyites (the Tipp ones).

Was it not possible to come to an agreement?

by Dublin voter Sat May 09, 2009 02:00

* Brid Smith - SWP
* Bryce Evans - never heard of him.
* Colm Stephens - SWP
* Donie Fell - non-SWP?
* Gino Kenny - SWP
* Hugh Lewis -SWP
* Joan Collins - Independent
* Martin O'Sullivan - SWP
* Pat Dunne - Independent
* Richard Boyd Barrett - SWP
* Seán Moraghan - never heard of him
* Tina MacVeigh - never heard of her

Which candidates actually have a chance of getting elected?
I think: Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins. Bríd Smith may get a look in on a good day. The rest are not going to get anywhere near elected although they may register a decent vote here and there.

There are no other left candidates that have realistic prospects of election as Cllrs other then SP. I've heard that Joe Higgins, Ruth Coppinger, Clare Daly, Mick Murphy, & Mick Barry are likely to take seats with Denis Keane and Terry Kellagher on a good day for them.

by Loadzamoney - Self Preservation Society Sat May 09, 2009 02:13

Dublin Voter .

Brid Smith is a member of ''People Before Profit ''

by Loadzamoney - Self Preservation Society Sat May 09, 2009 02:17

Tina Mc.veigh is also a member of '' People before Profit ''

by Sean - Workers Party Sat May 09, 2009 09:03

Dublin Voter says that there are no Left candidates other than the Socialist Party who are likely to take seats.

Maybe you should come out of Dublin once in a while DV. Anyone familiar with the situation in Waterford and Cork will tell you that the Workers Party are putting up very strong campaigns and will be fighting hard for seats in both of those areas. Outgoing councillor Davy Walsh in Waterford North should retain his seat with Willie Moore on the verge of taking a seat in Waterford South and a good performance likely from Joe Tobin in Waterford East. In Cork Ted Tynan (North East) and Jackie Connolly (North Central) are doing extremely well while nobody can rule out Mick Crowley in North West (where the party previously held a seat with Jimmy Homan and Mick polled 6% on his first outing in 2004). I predict that there is going to be a very strong showing by the all the Left candidates on the Northside of Cork and together (WP and SP) they will be a formidable force on the next City Council. So lets stop the point scoring and work together towards that end.

by Mark P - Socialist Party (personal capacity) Sat May 09, 2009 12:11

Dublin Voter is wrong if he thinks that only Socialist Party candidates on the socialist left have a chance of winning seats in this election. As has been pointed out above, the Workers Party are looking to hold a seat in Waterford and have at least some sort of chance in three other wards in Munster (Dublin it seems is not the world).

The Workers and Unemployed Action Group isn't explicitly socialist, but it is on the left and will expect to get councillors elected and reelected in Clonmel. People Before Profit again isn't explicitly socialist but (how can I say this politely?) many of its candidates are and I would be very surprised if it doesn't win an absolute minimum of two seats in Dublin and possibly more.

by Energy Sat May 09, 2009 15:32

Ummmmh! Loadzamoney - Self Preservation Society not quite sure what you are trying to say to us. We all know that Brid Smith and Tina McVeigh are standing as PBP candidates, it says it at the top of this thread. Are you trying to say that Brid and Tina are not fully paid up active members of the SWP?
The SWP have been trying very hard for a number of years to turn the PBPA into a genuine broad alliance of lefts and community activists. This list of candidates is sad proof that they have failed. PBPA at least electorally is the SWP plus three extra candidates, doesn't really add up to much unfortunately.
It would be far better for them and the development of the left if they stood as the SWP and let the development of a broader force develop naturally. They have tried to kick start things but it hasn't worked.

by Dublin Voter Sat May 09, 2009 22:51

Hands up! I'm wrong on my last remark. It was throw away line to be honest. I'm based in Dublin so have not experienced the WP and Tipp WUAG first hand. So, good to hear from the WP that they've got good chances at taking and defending Council seats.

by Left Sun May 10, 2009 19:48

"the Alliance are calling for a Vote for Socialist Party Candidate Joe Higgins in the European Elections."

Personally didn't see any mention of this on the PBPA leaflet I got or on the website. But hopefully they mention it in their next election leaflet. It would be important for the left to get a good vote in the Euro election as it would put us really on the map.

by pbpa - People Before Profit Mon May 11, 2009 18:53

Hey Left I think you will find that the on the top story on the PBPA website that the alliance call for a Vote for Joe Higgins in the European Elections, plus you'll also find that election literature in the north inner city which came in my door recently from Colm Stephens has a piece calling for a vote for Joe Higgins.
Wouldn't it be great if sp literature did the same for other left candidates?

by Mark P - Socialist Party (personal capacity) Mon May 11, 2009 19:20

Wouldn't it be nice? Well, actually we're already doing just that in the only place where it might matter.

Tallaght Central is the one area where a PBPA candidate is standing and where the Socialist Party is also standing. All of the Socialist Party's leaflets there call on supporters to give the PBPA candidate their number 2. As far as I'm aware, the PBPA isn't standing anywhere else where the Socialist Party will be canvassing or distributing large numbers of leaflets.

By the way, I've received two pieces of literature from my local PBPA candidate recently. Neither of them mentioned Joe Higgins as far as I can recall. Still, if your leaflets are now calling for a vote for Joe Higgins that's certainly welcome.

by PBPA Tallaght Central - PBPA Tue May 12, 2009 00:01

There is an agreement between PBPA candidate Pat Dunne and Socialist Party Cllr. Mick Murphy to call on all their supporters to give the other candidate the No 2 vote. This is a six seater and both of them have an excellent chance of being elected. In the 2004 Elections Mick Murphy got over 2500 first perference votes in Tallaght and Pat Dunne got over 2200 in the old Terenure/Rathfarmham area. Following the boundary revisions both of their support bases are in the new Tallaght Central Area. PBPA is also calling for their supporters to give Socialist Party Canditate Joe Higgins the No1 vote in the European Election.

by Left Sun May 17, 2009 00:49

I think that the bigger the vote that Joe Higgins gets in the Euro eleciton the better. It's in the left's interest to really get behind that campaign and prominantly call for a No. 1 vote on 5 June. It could really put the left on the political map. Already he's on 7% in latest opinion poll, lets hope he gets more!

I have to admit that I was worried that PBPA would be backing McKenna No. 1 after I saw Ailbhe Smyth being on McKenna's replacement list. What's the story with that?

Also good to hear there's a transfer pact between Dunne and Murphy. It's important that it's given emphasis now by both sides so there is no "leakage" if either is elected first count or is eliminated.

by Finglasonian Mon May 18, 2009 14:06

John O Neill of the ISN who's standing in Finglas/Ballymun must also have an outside chance of winning a seat on Dublin City Council. He got a decent vote in the last locals (around 800 I think) so given the current climate he might just squeeze in. Granted he didnt do well in the last general election but most of the far left did badly then.
On left unity, John has publically called for a vote for Joe Higgins in the Euros. The SWP/PBP aren't running a candidate here in the ward this time, they usually run Kevin Wingfield, but I don't know if this is so as not to opppose John or some other reason. The WP are running two candidates but I don't know if theres been any preference pact with the ISN.

by Left Mon May 18, 2009 17:46

I'll keep an eye on ISN's O'Neill on election results day. With 800 votes last time and if he's done some work in last years he may well get a seat. Although it's always difficult up against the party machines that get national media coverage.