Archive for the ‘United Left Alliance’ Category

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

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

leave a comment »

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

Table Quiz, Support Joan Collins United Left Alliance, Dublin South-Central

leave a comment »

Rag-Bag Productions Proudly Presents :

A Table Quiz to support Joan Collins’ run for the Dáil :

Thursday February 10, 8.30pm, in the Teachers’ Club,
36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1

Brought to You by the Motley Crew

Joan Collins, a Dublin City Councillor, is running for a Dáil Seat in the Constituency of Dublin South-Central. The General Election is coming soon – on Friday February 25.

Joan is a People Before Profit Candidate, part of the United Left Alliance (ULA), which is tipped to win six or more seats in the new Dáil.

http://politicalreform.ie/2011/02/01/irish-independent-poll-2nd-february-2011/

Joan hit the media headlines by interrupting an RTÉ interview with former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil Leader Bertie Ahern about his last days in Leinster House, headquarters of Dáil Éireann, the Irish Parliament.

http://www.youtube.com/PeopleBeforeProfitTV#p/u/9/uAL2OPGg-ak Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Feb 3, 2011 at 7:45 pm

Posted in General Election 2011, Humour, Ireland, People Before Profit, United Left Alliance

Joan Collins – Campaigning in Meath Street (Videos)

leave a comment »

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

with 4 comments

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

General Election Challenge of United Left Alliance Strengthens

with 7 comments

This is a very useful news summary published on the Socialist Party Site.

If any readers attended the Cork ULA meeting this week, please consider mailing a news report for this site. We hear the event was very well attended – one comment mentioned a crowd of over 200 – exaggeration or truth?

http://socialistparty.net/elections/575-general-election-challenge-of-united-left-alliance-strengthens

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 15, 2011 at 11:58 am

Posted in Abortion, Ireland, People Before Profit, Socialist Party, United Left Alliance

Laois-Offaly Labour Troubles

with 9 comments

Irish Times Story :

Gilmore defends selection process

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0112/1224287329655.html

Includes news of a possible new affiliation to the

United Left Alliance :

“Meanwhile, Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins addressed a meeting in Portlaoise last night where a new left-wing group was expected to be established for Laois-Offaly. It is envisaged the group will affiliate to the United Left Alliance.”

god bless the bourgeois press…..

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 12, 2011 at 1:50 pm

Posted in Ireland, United Left Alliance

2011 General Election – the United Left Alliance Prepares

with 7 comments

The United Left Alliance held a supporters’ meeting on Monday January 10 at 7pm in Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street.

Tomás Ó Flathartha reports.

Arriving on time – for a change – this reporter came across a few grumblers wondering why there was such an early start – these events in Dublin usually start about 8pm.

As usual most punters arrived late, but the room filled up quickly – maybe 110 – 130 people attended, though many left before the official end shortly after 9pm – by that time there were around 60-65 in the room.

It seemed many people had read Brendan Young’s Paper

Building the ULA:

reflections on the past and proposals for the future

(published on this blog and the Irish Left Review) and support for the practical proposals was widespread.

https://tomasoflatharta.com/2011/01/07/building-the-ula-reflections-on-the-past-and-proposals-for-the-future/

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 11, 2011 at 2:17 am

Posted in Abortion, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Ireland, Sinn Féin, United Left Alliance

Building the United Left Alliance: reflections on the past and proposals for the future

with 2 comments

Building the ULA:

reflections on the past and proposals for the future.

Brendan Young. People Before Profit and the Campaign for an Independent Left.

It is just over a month since the United Left Alliance was launched and the paucity of organised resistance to the deepening economic crisis has made the alternative offered by the ULA all the more urgent. So the formation of the ULA is very welcome. Also welcome is the public commitment to the ULA by People Before Profit, the Socialist Party, the Socialist Workers’ Party and the Tipperary Unemployed and Workers’ Action Group. Such co-operation amongst the Irish left is a very big step forward and every effort should be made to ensure that it is a success, up to and after the coming election.

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 7, 2011 at 8:24 pm

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