Tomás Ó Flatharta

Looking at Things from the Left

Archive for the ‘Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards)’ Category

The United Left Alliance in Dublin Central

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The United Left Alliance (ULA) has held a series of launch meetings since the February 25 General Election.

This is a report of the Dublin Central Gathering, held on Monday May 30 in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square.

About 34 people attended. 

The meeting was chaired by Eddie Conlon of the ULA A Steering Committee and the speakers were :

Joan Collins TD ULA/People Before Profit (PBP) Dublin South-Central.

Paul Murphy Member of the European Parliament (MEP) ULA/Socialist Party (SP) –

[Paul took over the seat vacated by Joe Higgins, who is now a TD for Dublin West]

Colm Stephens PBP/Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) Dublin Central.

Joan Collins opened the meeting with fresh news that an actor who shares the socialist TD’s name was recently hit by the property crash – Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jun 11, 2011 at 12:55 am

Posted in Éirigí, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), General Election 2011, Ireland, People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Six County Elections 2011, Socialist Party, United Left Alliance

Alternative to Bank Bailouts And Cutbacks – United Left Alliance Public Meeting, May 30, Teachers’ Club, 36 Parnell Square

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The Alternative to

Bank Bailouts

And Cutbacks

8.00pm, Monday May 30
Teachers’ Club, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

May 29, 2011 at 1:23 pm

Posted in Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), General Election 2011, Ireland, United Left Alliance

United Left Alliance “A Work in Progress” – Steps Towards a New Party

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The Irish election returned five TDs for the United Left Alliance, with 2.8 per cent of the first preference votes. But this victory for the Left is only part of a bigger picture of political change, writes Brendan Young, in an article commissioned by Scottish Left Review. Republished here with kind permission of the author and SLR.

This article is also published on the Irish Left Review Site  :

United Left Alliance A Work In Progress – Steps Towards a New Party

Joe Higgins TD - Socialist Party and the United Left Alliance

Described as a sea change by commentators, the biggest shock of Ireland’s recent general election was the collapse of the vote of Fianna Fáil (FF), the State’s largest party; from 41.5 per cent in 2007 to just 17.4 per cent this time. FF has governed in Ireland for 61 out of the 79 years since it was formed in 1932 and has won 14 out of the 19 general elections. Yet it now has only one TD (member of parliament) in Dublin – down from 13. Its first preference vote in Dublin was only 12.5 per cent, whereas the United Left Alliance, on its first outing, got 7.1 per cent. What stands out is the loss of support for FF among working class voters – confirming what has already been happening in local elections. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

May 20, 2011 at 6:26 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, Trade Unions, United Left Alliance

The February 25 General Election changed something in Ireland

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The article below  – by John Meehan –

has been  published in the British Magazine Socialist Resistance :

http://socialistresistance.org/1775/70-votes-for-socialism

 

Writing in the North American online magazine Counterpunch Harry Browne zoned in on two key features on the Irish February 25 2011 General Election Result

 

 

Same Old at the Top – but Irish Election Makes Room for the Left

Same Old, Same Old at the Top, But – Irish Election Makes Room for the Left

The same old :

A Fine Gael / Labour coalition takes over the government after 14 years of Fianna Fáil rule. Since 1932, Fianna Fáil have been the governing party for 61 out of 79 years.  They have won 19 out of 25 General Elections. On the rare occasions Fine Gael dominated coalitions have come to power the smaller right-wing party never held on longer than one term in office.

That said, the scale of the 2011 Fianna Fáil defeat is without precedent Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Mar 10, 2011 at 7:30 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), Opinion Polls, People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, United Left Alliance

Why Does The Irish Labour Party Seek Fine Gael’s Kiss-of-Death?

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In the last days of the 2011 Irish General Election Campaign Labour Party leaders and spinners are warning that the voters might choose a Fine Gael single party government. Their alternative? : Coalition – Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny for Taoiseach, Labour’s Eamon Gilmore the Tánaiste – that’s the message.

SIPTU leader Jack O’Connor, for example, claims “that a coalition government would be far preferable as the country imposes spending cuts as part of its EU and IMF bailout.

“If you look at the lessons of history, they (Fine Gael) haven’t been in government on their own since 1927 when their predecessor Cumann na nGaedheal was in government,”….

“They pursued policy which resulted in economic stagnation for 60 years. And that’s the kind of policy that’s being advocated by both of the centre-right parties at the present time.”

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/15/ireland-politics-union-idUKLDE71E2C620

First – is a single-party Fine Gael government possible or likely?

We will know for sure on Saturday February 26 – at the time of writing, if the polls are right, a single party Fine Gael government is possible but unlikely.

http://politicalreform.ie/2011/02/22/seat-estimates-for-irish-independent-millward-brown-lansdowne-opinion-poll-23rd-february/#more-2337

A second factor is political – many Fine Gael backers, for example the former party leader Garret FitzGerald, argue that coalition with Labour is a better tactical option for this right-wing party. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Feb 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), Opinion Polls, People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, SIPTU, Socialist Party, Trade Unions, UNITE, United Left Alliance

Joan Collins to Offer Radical Alternative – RTE’s Frontline Programme, Monday February 21

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Message from the Joan Collins Site :

“I have agreed to go on panel on Frontline on Monday evening. It’s on after the  9pm news. Also last Friday I had a BBC Panorama crew with me for the afternoon in Drimnagh. They are doing an election special on Ireland, also on Monday evening.”

http://joan-collins.org/2011/02/19/appearing-on-panel-on-frontlines-rte-monday-night/

Joan’s campaign was featured in the Irish Times, Thursday February 17 :

Collins aims to offer radical alternative

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0217/1224290025041.html

Joan Collins Flyer :

http://irishelectionliterature.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/flyer-from-joan-collins-people-before-profit-united-left-alliance-dublin-south-central/

500 Words from Joan Collins :

http://www.drimnaghisgood.com/2011/02/16/500-words-from-joan-collins-people-before-profit-canidate-for-dublin-south-central/

United Left Alliance Prospects? Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Feb 20, 2011 at 3:42 pm

Posted in European Union, Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), Opinion Polls, People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, United Left Alliance

Make a Bonfire of Irish Banking Vanities

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The magazine Vanity Fair has published a sensational article “When Irish Eyes are Crying” –

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2011/03/michael-lewis-ireland-201103?currentPage=1

It caught the attention of the Guardian Correspondent Lisa O’Carroll who observes :

“Any Irish reader who wants to save being offended can skip the last quarter of the article which leaves an impression that the Ireland is a land of fairies, potato farmers and rural unsophisticates.

But the article is well worth reading. It packages the drama of the last two years and particularly last November brilliantly.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/ireland-business-blog-with-lisa-ocarroll/2011/feb/02/ireland-merrill-lynch-research-note-irish-banks?INTCMP=SRCH Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Feb 5, 2011 at 10:41 pm

Posted in Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Ireland

Joan Collins – Campaigning in Meath Street (Videos)

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Joan Collins first won a seat on Dublin City Council in 2004, and was re-elected in 2009 with an increased share of the vote in the Crumlin-Kimmage ward. In 2011 she is a People Before Profit / United Left Alliance candidate in Dublin South-Central. Joan doorstepped ex-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the gates of Leinster House this week, asking why he had no “shame” about the state of the country, ruined by the collapse of the Celtic Tiger. Have a look at Joan’s campaign in the Meath Street area on Saturday January 29 2011 – it looks like she has struck a chord with many working class people.

The reaction to Joan’s handbagging of Bertie Ahern was very positive and good-humoured – take a look at these short videos made by John Meehan :

Meath Street Butchers discuss ex-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s retirement regrets with Dublin South-Central United Left Alliance General Election candidate Joan Collins and Dermot Connolly.

http://www.facebook.com/v/1730560898133 Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Feb 1, 2011 at 12:31 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Humour, Ireland, People Before Profit, Socialist Party, United Left Alliance

Labour Leadership Offensive to the Left, Offensive Against the Left

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Thanks to Des Derwin for this article, also published here :

http://www.irishleftreview.org/2011/01/25/godsend-sinn-fin-left/

The Finance Bill stroke is the latest, but greatest, in a line of indications that Labour in government will be on the good ship Austerity.

Until fairly recently I would have counselled my friends on the left against rejecting calls for an all-left alliance out of hand and, instead, for saying to Labour and Sinn Féin, ‘reject coalition and austerity and we can all ally’. The clarity of Labour’s intentions makes this position redundant. More, the Labour leadership has now gone on the offensive against the ULA and Sinn Féin, against the rest of an all-left alliance.

http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/talk-away-mister-higgins/

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 25, 2011 at 6:57 pm

Posted in Abortion, Feminism, Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, Trade Unions, UNITE, United Left Alliance

Kill the Finance Bill – Burn the Bondholders!

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See discussion here :

http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/so-what-happens-next/

Line of Action :
Kill the Finance Bill
Dissolve the Dáil and announce a new General Election date before March 11

The Green Party/Fianna Fáil policy – apparently supported by Fine Gael – of passing the Finance bill this week should be rejected out of hand.

Call the bluff of the right-wing – do not tolerate hypocrites pretending to oppose the government, but in fact hoping the austerity package is passed – and after a General Election Fine Gael and their Labour coalition colleagues will say they are in “a straitjacket”, their “hands are tied”, and so on.

Kill the Finance Bill – Burn the Bondholders! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 23, 2011 at 7:57 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), Sinn Féin

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