Posts Tagged ‘politics’
European Parliament : International Migrants Day: The Left condemns Commission greenlight for pushbacks
Freedom of movement has to be defended in the European Union.
Source :
International Migrants Day – EU Left condemns commission greenlight for pushbacks
The Left marks International Migrants Day today, noting that the European Commission and Member states have significantly backtracked in recent days over commitments to basic human rights protections for migrants and refugees, to the point of endorsing the illegal practice of pushbacks on EU borders.
In a Communication announced last week by Executive President Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission shockingly gave the greenlight for Member States to conduct pushbacks on the EU’s borders and to adopt ‘exceptional measures’ that suspend or delay the registration of asylum applications.
Left MEP Estrella Galán (Sumar, Spain) said: “The Commission’s decision to grant Member States carte-blanche to suspend the right to asylum at borders under the pretext of ‘security’ threats reflects the growing influence of the far-right, which seeks to criminalise migrants and refugees, turning the right to asylum into a mere tool for control and exclusion.”
Left MEP Li Andersson (Vasemmistoliitto, Finland) said: “The most right-wing Commission in the history of the EU starts its mandate by trying to give the greenlight to Member States to legalise pushbacks. But it is important to note that the Commission Communication is a political statement. Pushbacks are contrary to international human rights law and the assessment of their legality will remain in the hands of the courts – not the Commission. Strengthening security must never mean compromising on fundamental and human rights.”
This comes following the decision of a number of Member States such as Finland and Poland to suspend asylum processes, citing ‘the instrumentalisation of migration’ by Russia and Belarus. This course of action will only further endanger people seeking refuge at Europe’s external borders.
During this week’s plenary session in Strasbourg, The Left expressed deep concern about these flagrant attacks on human rights and the right to asylum. The Commission’s Communication comes as the European approach to asylum and migration deteriorates across the board. The EU’s policy of border externalisation continues apace, as does the criminalisation of humanitarian aid and search and rescue in Member States, all of which represent a pattern of crackdowns on the right to asylum in the EU since the adoption of the Asylum and Migration Pact.
As 2024 dust settles : A Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Beggar-Gombeen (FFFGBG) Dublin Government slouches forward
The result of the November 29 General Election in Ireland was a victory for the outgoing government. The two leading conservative parties – Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (FFFG) won 86 out of 174 seats, only two seats short of an overall majority. Their previous administration needed a mudguard, provided by the Green party (GP), which lost 11 of its 12 seats.
This time the mudguard is likely to come from right-wing gombeens (The Irish mainstream media calls them “gene-pool independents” as most come from FFFG). In the previous Dáil “independent” deputies from this swamp regularly voted confidence in the government, without formally participating in the cabinet. Since the election result was announced, these gombeens have brazenly begged for perks and freebies in exchange for their Dáil votes.
Green or Moderate Left Mudguard Unavailable?
FFFG is in the market for a Green or moderate-left mudguard. Possible partners – (the Labour party [LP] and the Social Democrats [SDs]) – seem unwilling to perform political suicide.
In the words of one source :
I get the feeling the GP example is terrifying them!
FFFG shoppers in the mudguard supermarket may be seeking unavailable bargains :
Labour sources expect that the party will today rule out continuing discussions about entering government with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, effectively shutting down that coalition option for the two larger parties.
The party’s TDs will meet at Leinster House at lunchtime where leader Ivana Bacik is expected to propose the move, which is likely to be backed overwhelmingly by those present.
Labour sources were careful not to get ahead of today’s decision, but there is little expectation in the party that its engagement on government will continue. This will draw a distinction with the Social Democrats, who yesterday said they would continue discussions.
But after meetings with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil this week, there is similarly little expectation in the outgoing government that the Social Democrats are serious about entering coalition.
Source : Jack Horgan-Jones, Election 2024: Labour set ‘to exit coalition talks’ with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Irish Times December 13 2024
On Friday December 13 expectation cruised a little bit closer to certainty, but the Titanic option has not been ruled out :
NEW: Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said that it is “unlikely” that her party will go into Government, as they prepare for one final round of meetings with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael
https://twitter.com/TadghMcN/status/1867600549979304410
We await the final whistle.
Once the post-election dust settles we may see a government composed of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Beggar-Gombeens (BGs) (FFFGBG) on one side, and a parliamentary opposition operating within a left-wing and ecological spectrum.
A FFFGBG coalition would be composed of Team FFFG (86 TDs) plus enough BG deputies to guarantee a workable Dáil majority.
Some BGs will oppose the government from the right.
Read the rest of this entry »Racists Attack Immigrant Accommodation Centre in the Heart of Ireland, Athlone – Gardaí fail to do their job
Disgraceful events are occurring in the heart of Ireland – Athlone.
This story comes from The Journal, an online Irish publication.
Below that, we publish a statement from the anti-racist Athlone For All organisation.
Numerous public representatives, mass organisations, community groups and individuals have been approached for comment and positive action.
Link :
“We were so scared” – Racists attack Athlone accommodation centre – Gardaí Stand Idly By
The Journal Story :
‘We were so scared’: Protesters broke through garda barrier at Athlone accommodation centre
Up to 100 men were moved into a state-run site for people seeking international protection in Athlone last week.
4.49pm, 9 Dec 2024
ANTI-MIGRANT GROUPS BROKE through garda lines at an accommodation centre in Athlone yesterday, gaining access to the site while people hid inside.
A number of people who were in the accommodation centre at the time described themselves as being terrified as a group of men got through the garda barrier, with a member of security injured amid the scenes.
The demonstrations also resulted in the centre’s generator being damaged – causing residents to have no power for most of the last 24 hours.
It was the latest in a string of incidents targeting asylum-seekers in the town in recent days.
In a statement tonight, the government department in charge of the site and the broader asylum system said that a “number of unauthorised people” entered the Midlands Accommodation Centre in Athlone.
“During the disturbance, a member of the onsite security team was injured. There were no injuries to residents of the centre,” the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth said.
Read the rest of this entry »
Irish General Election November 29 2024 – Return of a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Coalition – Setback for the Left
It is certain the two right-wing parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael (FFFG) which controlled the outgoing right-wing coalition will form the new government – their previous mudguard, the Green party, was destroyed – coming back with one seat, and losing 11. FFFG can pick new partners. They won 86 seats out of 174 seats, only two seats short of a majority.
We start with important data on the rise of racism in Ireland. Extreme racist candidates polled badly in this general election. Despite the emergence of violent racist organisations in the last 18 months – the majority of Irish citizens remain hostile to this dangerous political cancer.
These are good summaries of the overall result :
Brittle Opposition
Sinn Féin’s governmental ambitions fizzled out. The polling attrition suffered by Sinn Féin during the middle part of the year strongly influenced the nature of the campaign. With no real sense that the government parties might be ejected from power, the election was a low-energy affair, with turnout dropping below 60% for the first time in the history of the state.
Link :
Brittle Opposition, Dan Finn
Analysis: In a year when ruling parties around the world lost elections, Ireland’s outgoing coalition parties bucked that trend
At the end of a year that saw parties around the world punished by voters, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have managed to avoid the incumbents’ curse. The coalition partners’ combined first preference votes fell by just 0.4 points – to 42.7% – compared with the 2020 general election. This is a remarkable result, given the high cost of living and continuing housing crisis – all the more so for Fine Gael, which has been in government since 2011.
Sinn Féin’s popularity was the story of the 2020 general election. It emerged as the first choice of nearly a quarter of the electorate (24.5%) but failed to nominate enough candidates to capitalise on this and ended up with fewer seats than Fianna Fáil.
Biding its time in opposition, the party set to work presenting itself as a government in waiting. The polls seemed to confirm this status. The party’s popularity peaked at 36% in 2022 but this figure underwent a slow – and then rapid – decline. An unwillingness to adopt an anti-immigration position, when the issue was becoming politicised in Ireland, saw it lose support with some of its supporters.
This was confirmed in June at the local and European elections. The party’s 11.8% vote share was a very poor showing. Subsequent scandals around the party, on both sides of the border, further damaged its standing with the electorate.
Sinn Féin’s share of 19% of the first preference vote on Friday represents a partial recovery for the party. But it is, nonetheless, a steep decline (5.5 %) from their 2020 performance, leaving Sinn Féin with no realistic path to power.
Link :
Why Election 24 saw FF and FG avoid the incumbents’ curse
Unfortunately Sinn Féin was willing “to adopt an anti-immigration position” after some initial hesitation. Faced with rising racist agitation in deprived communities, the party pandered to reactionary sentiments. The main capitalist parties did the same – they discovered an issue that could be used to forward a right-wing agenda on a number of fronts. As a result, Sinn Féin lost support to its right – and to its left. The leaflet below, containing anti-immigrant messages, was used all over the state.
In the months leading up to these elections I was struck by messages from friends expressing alarm at this bad turn of events. A number of people said things like “I will not vote for Sinn Féin again”; “I would find it hard to give them a preference” and so on. I wondered if this trend was in any way representative – after all most people in my circle are further left than the general population! The general election proved these sentiments were not isolated.
Most political commentary on the general election notes setbacks suffered by scattered street-gang mini-Hitlers. Candidates like this – for example Malachy Steenson in the Dublin North Inner-City – emerged from the margins, and gained significant electoral support in the June 2024 local elections. They did not repeat their success in the November 2024 general election – they went backwards.
A more dangerous development occurred. A significant number of deputies from the ruling FFFG coalition, and Sinn Féin, promoted or dog-whistled at racist policies. At least 18 successful TD’s [Dáil Deputies] (gombeens) promote racist and misogynistic policies which have gone mainstream. These monsters are a throwback to a Catholic reactionary state that banned abortion, divorce and gay people – a state that threw women out of the workforce, that banished babies and single women to religious prisons run by the Catholic Church. Today’s far-right are disguised in the suits, ties, scarves and daily hairdos of Aontú, the Independent Ireland (II) Party, and a busload of independent TD’s begging for rewards from the new FFFG coalition : a mercs and perks brigade. Two additions to this gang in the new Dáil are Ken O’Flynn ( [II] Cork North-Central) and Gillian Toole [Independent gombeen racist] (Meath East). Others may come forward.
Nikita Hand Secures a Legal Victory over racist superstar kick-boxer Conor McGregor
During the election campaign a woman called Nikita Hand took a legal civil action, alleging rape, against an international celebrity, the kick-boxing superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor is closely associated with a number of mini-Hitler racists, some of whom were elected to Dublin council seats in June 2024. These included Philip Sutcliffe (Dublin South-Central) and Paddy Holohan (Dublin South-West). Most rape trials in Ireland are held behind closed doors, and the details are not widely broadcast.
This civil action was different : every day horrific evidence was headline news. Nikita Hand won her case.
This case damaged the mini-Hitler racist candidates –
An RTÉ News report contains the following information about Councillor Philip Sutcliffe :
In Dublin, Philip Sutcliffe, the head of Crumlin Boxing Club, was elected for the party. He boxed for Ireland at the Olympics in Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984, and was elected in the Ballyfermot-Finglas LEA.
One of his most vocal supporters in the lead-up to election day was well-known publican and MMA fighter Conor McGregor. Cllr Sutcliffe has been McGregor’s boxing coach, travelling to fight camps internationally with McGregor, and featuring in social media posts.
On his Facebook page, where he posted regular updates during the campaign, Cllr Sutcliffe shared his support for Derek Blighe, a prominent right-wing nationalist anti-immigration protester and a candidate with the group ‘Ireland First’.
Mr Blighe regularly speaks about “plantations” and “unvettable fake refugees” at anti-immigration gatherings around the country. He has said the war in Ukraine is a “fake war publicised to encourage economic migrants to come to this country”.
“If you’re in this man’s area, vote [number] one for Derek,” Cllr Sutcliffe posted about Mr Blighe, who was running in the Ireland South European constituency and Fermoy Local Electoral Area against Independent Ireland candidates.
Cllr Sutcliffe also reposted video content from abroad about “refugee grooming gangs” while adding his own words: “Remember all this when voting, our government are letting the likes of their kind into Ireland.”
Cllr Sutcliffe was a first-time candidate and received 821 first preference votes, getting a seat on the 10th count.
Source : Independent Ireland party – a right-racist split from Fianna Fáil
During the campaign, as a result of the publicity over the McGregor case, the II party was forced to dump Sutcliffe, but his name still appeared on the ballot paper as an II candidate.
A sizeable protest march supporting Nikita Hand occurred after the verdict :
Paddy Holohan, McGregor’s sparring partner, polled very well in the June council elections, but did very badly in the General Election. He got 3.7% of No.1 votes, ranked 12th of 16 candidates, with no hope of a seat.
The Gerry Hutch Near-Miss in Dublin Central
A near-miss occurred in Dublin Central, the constituency of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. Statewide Sinn Féin lost 5.5% of its vote-share compared with 2020.
In Dublin Central the drop was much higher : 12.36%. The party lost votes to its left and right. Many of those votes went to a wealthy businessman-gangster, Gerry Hutch, who advocated a sinister anti-immigrant policy.
Some discussion exists on whether Hutch was a racist candidate. He started his campaign making a few reasonable statements, but then came out with a definitive policy which left no room for doubt – Here is Hutch’s extreme racist campaign platform :
Link :
General Election November 29 2024 – Dublin Central Count
Hutch came fourth in the poll. On Saturday November 30 most election experts predicted Hutch would win a seat after seeing the first count – Hutch looked to be too far ahead of the chasing candidates below him. This news attracted a huge posse from the international media to the main Dublin election count centre on Sunday December 1. They were disappointed.
- A landslide “Vote Left, Transfer Left” grassroots heave appeared : against Hutch in favour of the nearest candidate below him, Marie Sherlock (Labour party).
The election guru Michael Marsh noted on RTÉ Radio 1 that a record had probably been set : never before, since all similar Irish elections from 1922, had so many voters transferred so heavily against one candidate.
As the counts were announced, Marsh was visibly astonished : the racists transferred heavily to Hutch : Steenson, Kelly, and Smyth of Aontú.
All other candidates (mainly on the left) transferred to each other – and overwhelmingly against Hutch :
| Counts | Hutch’s Share |
| No.5 (Votes of Daly) (Independents for Change) | 137 out of 1539 |
| No. 6 (Votes of Ó Ceannabháin) (People Before Profit) | 83 out of 2112 |
| No. 7 (Votes of Steenson [Racist]) | 1262 out of 2195 |
| No. 8 (Votes of Hourigan [Green party]) | 26 out of 2352 |
| No. 9 (Surplus of Gannon [Social Democrats]) | 18 out of 881 |
Left-wing voters transferred in huge numbers to the second elected candidate Gary Gannon (Social Democrats) and the eventual winner of the fourth seat, Marie Sherlock (Labour party). Transfers from the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil candidates went the same way.
Some may dispute this was a “Vote Left, Transfer Left” phenomenon on the grounds that FFFG votes went overwhelmingly to Sherlock in the last two counts. This is a false and stupid argument. People should grasp the fact that, in this constituency, FFFG voters preferred a Labour party candidate to a racist gangster. That is a sign of hope.
The transfer data in this constituency also shows that Green party voters chose other available left candidates ahead of Hutch, and ahead of the candidates from the two right-wing government coalition parties, FFFG. Comprehensive analysis of data like this in all 43 constituencies is awaited. That said, figures I have seen seem to show that “Vote Left, Transfer Left”, a call promoted by People Before Profit, operated in a large number of constituencies.
John Goodwillie RIP – “committed, honest, kind, genuine and erudite”
I can’t remember who let me know that John Goodwillie had passed away a few days ago – the first person I told was Des Derwin, who has written the tribute below, which contains informative and entertaining scenes from the class struggle in Ireland.
There will be a celebration of John Goodwillie’s life at the Garden Chapel of Mount Jerome Cemetery, which is can be viewed online at 3pm on Tuesday December 10. Condolences to his husband Val, his family, friends, and comrades.
Links :
John Goodwillie Death Notice
John Goodwillie, Celebration of His Life, CLR
John Goodwillie Tribute, Des Derwin, FB
John Goodwillie Tribute, Des Derwin, CLR
Des Derwin knew John much better than me. But our paths crossed several times, and I retain good memories about comrade Goodwillie.
Read the rest of this entry »Irish General Election November 29 2024 – Preliminary Analyses – Focus on Dublin Central, Dirty Money, and Racism
At the time of writing it seems certain the outgoing right-wing coalition controlled by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will form the new government – their previous partners, the Green party, are likely to be wiped out. FFFG will be able to pick new partners.
We start with important data
In this post we concentrate on the issue of racism and the general election, with a particular focus on the Dublin Central constituency.
Here is a final tally displaying most of the first count
The golden rules for winning a seat in a Proportional Representation(PR) election are
- 1. Secure a winning position in the first count (In this case 4 seats available, Be in the first 4)
- 2. Secure at least half a quota
This means that McDonald (Sinn Féin), Donohoe (Fine Gael) and Gannon (Social Democrats) are very likely to win a seat each. The last seat is Gerry Hutch (wealthy businessman with a background in organised crime, a racist) Versus one of this chasing pack : Marie Sherlock (Labour party), Neasa Hourigan (Green party), Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin (People Before Profit), Clare Daly (Independents for Change). The clear leader of this pack is Marie Sherlock. The transfers of candidates below Sherlock can be examined to see if the slogan Vote left, Transfer left operates effectively, or not.
Some discussion exists on whether Hutch is a racist candidate. He started his campaign making some reasonable statements, but then came out with a definitive policy which left no room for doubt – his campaign platform is extreme racist :
Read the rest of this entry »On arming Ukraine and the struggle against Militarism – European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine Declaration
The European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine (ENSU) has denounced the Russian invasion
of Ukraine from the very beginning and fully supports the Ukrainian right of self-defence.
The Ukrainian people’s armed resistance is just. It is not taking place as part of military aggression by NATO, the United States or any Western country, but as defence against the declared war aim of Russian president Vladimir Putin: to reconquer the fictitious “Russian world” supposedly lost with the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Since Ukraine’s armed resistance is legitimate, all states that regard themselves as democratic and upholders of law-governed international relations have the responsibility to help the Ukrainian people defeat the Russian invasion.
Read the rest of this entry »Irish General Election November 29 2024 – Mick Wallace, Clare Daly and Sinn Féin Dog-Whistle to the Racists – Vote Left, Transfer Left, Vote Anti-Racist; No Coalition with FFFGGG
Ireland is not full. The kids in St. Aidan’s School Tallaght show political leadership much needed in Ireland today:
Ireland’s November 29 2024 General Election – Racist Warning Signs – TÓF
Adults who claim to be on the left are spreading racist porkies.
This is an RTÉ Radio 1 discussion involving 3 independent candidates : Mick Wallace (Wexford candidate), Kate O’Connell (ex Fine Gael TD Dublin Bay South), Marian Harkin TD (Sligo)
Mick Wallace, “Nowhere to Put Them” and the Ukrainians “Pull Factor”
Harkin and Wallace play the “Ireland is Full” race card. To her credit, Kate O’Connell promotes an anti-racist message. Mick Wallace is an “Independents for Change” candidate in the November 29 Irish General Election, along with another ex Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Clare Daly.
The Wallace statement provoked a storm of protest from many left wing sources. One example :
Read the rest of this entry »Ireland’s November 29 2024 General Election : Racist Warning Signs
Irish General Election to 34th Dáil; Racist Danger
The June 2024 Euro/ Local results in Ireland produced some alarming results – the racist far-right came from the margins and increased its electoral support. This could be a predictor of the coming General Election result.
Warning signs to anti-racists exist in various opinion surveys. See, for example, these numbers from a recent RedC General Election Opinion Survey) :
Aontú, a right-wing split from Sinn Féin set up by an anti-choice TD from Meath, Peadar Tóibín, is beginning to hoover up right-wing racist votes which were scattered among various mini-Hitlers in the June 2024 European and Local Elections. We can say the same for the Irish Independence party (II). When we note that a majority of independent candidates are part of the racist far-right, a disturbing picture emerges. The numbers are worse in other parts of the Irish state.
Here is the data from an Irish Times Opinion Poll :
| Irish General Election November 29 2024 Irish Times Survey Results 15/11/24 | ||||
| First preference voting intentions | ||||
| Dublin | Rest of Leinster | Munster | Connacht/Ulster | |
| Fianna Fáil | 16.00% | 19.00% | 27.00% | 13.00% |
| Fine Gael | 22.00% | 29.00% | 22.00% | 29.00% |
| Labour | 9.00% | 3.00% | 2.00% | 3.00% |
| Green Party | 6.00% | 2.00% | 1.00% | 2.00% |
| Sinn Fein | 21.00% | 16.00% | 19.00% | 21.00% |
| People Before Profit/Solidarity | 4.00% | 1.00% | 2.00% | 1.00% |
| Social Democrats | 5.00% | 5.00% | 2.00% | 2.00% |
| Aontú | 2.00% | 4.00% | 3.00% | 2.00% |
| Independent candidate | 15.00% | 21.00% | 21.00% | 25.00% |
Temptation exists : bending to “understandable” fears. For example an election canvasser from a party with one foot in the left put it to me that some voters are “uncomfortable” because their neighbours come from outside Ireland.
Let’s be clear, harsh, and unambiguous : messages like this pander to the racist view that immigrants are criminals and rapists. There is no evidence backing up claims that people born outside Ireland are any worse than Irish natives. It gives oxygen to the far right shite being whispered around communities.
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