Time for a new Political Party

Ian Kavanagh

How many people believe now is the time to establish a new political party that can change system once and for all ...

Create it in such a way that it will only exists for one term - long enough to put long lasting changes to the people in the shape of a referendeum with ideas such as

• reducing the numbers of TD's / senators ..
• Wages / expenses / pensions - though I do believe that they should be well paid - it pensions etc: that need to be reduced and NOT collected until 65 PLUS only one allowance
• tax systems similiar to the scandanavian countries - higher taxes, but better public services (why are we th eonly country who stuggles with this ... )
• REFORM in all aspects ...

while this is populist I believe all that is required is a decent candidate in each of the constituenties under a single banner who is willing to sacrifice 4 years fro the goo dof thr country ...

I dont have any political allegencies - in the last 4 elections I have voted for Labour, Socialist Party, FG, FF in that order

cavedave

It might be worth taking the political compass test here.

Then you can compare visually where the new party stands in relation to our current choices

anonymous_joe

Oh God, I ended up in the same place as the Greens. Ewwwwww.

On a more serious note, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are very similar parties, with Labour the primary difference.

There's not a huge call for another political party, except possibly a libertarian right wing party a la the PDs. However, we saw what happened to them.

There's a party in each spectrum in Ireland, and it's what amounts to the centre-right that wins time and time again. That's the people's choice in reality.

View

Ian Kavanagh wrote: »

How many people believe now is the time to establish a new political party that can change system once and for all ...

Create it in such a way that it will only exists for one term - long enough to put long lasting changes to the people in the shape of a referendeum with ideas such as

• reducing the numbers of TD's / senators ..
• Wages / expenses / pensions - though I do believe that they should be well paid - it pensions etc: that need to be reduced and NOT collected until 65 PLUS only one allowance
• tax systems similiar to the scandanavian countries - higher taxes, but better public services (why are we th eonly country who stuggles with this ... )
• REFORM in all aspects ...

while this is populist I believe all that is required is a decent candidate in each of the constituenties under a single banner who is willing to sacrifice 4 years fro the goo dof thr country ...

I dont have any political allegencies - in the last 4 elections I have voted for Labour, Socialist Party, FG, FF in that order

The PDs sounded a bit like that when they first started off...

Pygmalion

View wrote: »

The PDs sounded a bit like that when they first started off...

Higher taxes and better public services?
The PDs were always calling for lower taxes and privatisation.

RomanticIreland

I've been thinking the same things for years. While I myself have no interest in entering politics I wish I had a better party to chose. I don't think FG are up to the responsibility nor do I wish to vote for Labour as I feel the trade unions too much power and labour will not rectify this situation.

I have no interest in support Sinn Fein in any guise such as dear old Mary-Lou. The greens are too self interested so what choice is there other then investing my hopes and dreams in a new party

imme

I don't think a political party is the way for you to go. It wouldn't get off the ground enough to have the massive impact you want. Then for it to exist only for the duration of one Oireachtas. What you need is a campaign NOT a party. Save your soul, start a campaign, and not a party.

Ian Kavanagh

My point is that I firmly believe we as a nation are terribley dossile ... this is the second time that I have seen the current political establishment ruin the dreams of a generation. I'm old enough to remember the 80's and leaving college in the early 90's with nothing to do but sign on or leave the country. In that time both FF & FG bear responsibilities for the mess (It gals me to see Garret FitzG write a weekly column on how we can remedy the situation when FG and FF were more interested in sorting out the jobs for the boys than trying to fix the issues ... )

I dont think any of the current parties have what it takes to sort this mess out - I'm not a socialist / sinner either - while I admire Joe Higgins for many things - his ideas along with SF would probably bankrupt the country even future.

With highly educated graduates / workers joing the dole queues I believe that its possible to get the numbers under a single banner that could implement some change. The time of electing a local publican who can fix a couple of couple of pot holes down a back road has got to stop for the national interest ...

anonymous_joe

Ian Kavanagh wrote: »

My point is that I firmly believe we as a nation are terribley dossile ... this is the second time that I have seen the current political establishment ruin the dreams of a generation. I'm old enough to remember the 80's and leaving college in the early 90's with nothing to do but sign on or leave the country. In that time both FF & FG bear responsibilities for the mess (It gals me to see Garret FitzG write a weekly column on how we can remedy the situation when FG and FF were more interested in sorting out the jobs for the boys than trying to fix the issues ... )

I dont think any of the current parties have what it takes to sort this mess out - I'm not a socialist / sinner either - while I admire Joe Higgins for many things - his ideas along with SF would probably bankrupt the country even future.

With highly educated graduates / workers joing the dole queues I believe that its possible to get the numbers under a single banner that could implement some change. The time of electing a local publican who can fix a couple of couple of pot holes down a back road has got to stop for the national interest ...

Very few countries differ from us.

The Brits haven't stood up to authority since Thatcher killed the Unions (which was sadly probably necessary at Britain, but something that had an appalling effect on the lives of millions of British working-class people.)

The Yanks haven't risen up to oppose Clinton or Bush fcuking up the world economy. Etc.

Nobody really rises up, apathy rules in general.

View

Pygmalion wrote: »

Higher taxes and better public services?
The PDs were always calling for lower taxes and privatisation.

Oops, I missed that bit. On re-reading it sounds more like a reforming Labour party which of course raises the point that rather than setting up a new party, people could just join Labour and push for them to have policies on reducing TDs etc.

Idbatterim

There is no way Im prepared to pay higher tax for "better public services"! do you mean pay them more so they can do less? If throwing money at the PS was the answer, why arent we world class in every aspect?! Every party here even the right wing are almost left wing! The radical solutions, i.e cutting the PS pay and social welfare are 100% necessary, they are anything but radical! The best party with the best ideas, who were prepared to take on the vested interests i.e the PD's, have left politics! I suppose Fina Gael would be the ones Id vote for now, were there to be an election! but if they cant even announce what they will cut now, Id like to see them try it when they are in Goverment!

RomanticIreland

What made you stay here? How do you put up with it? I'm seriously considering leaving and investing my tax money in an government that works better then this one...of course I realise there isn't much better out there however all my friends have left the country along with most artists(Bono etc), writers(John Connolly etc) and liberal minded people. I realise many have also staid but I'm finding it hard to come up with reasons to remain.

This question is directed to Ian Kavanagh

Idbatterim

the problem is that, there seems to be a large % of the voters that reckon you can have everything! and we all know thats not the case! Especially the way things are now! what % of voters would you say are the bleeding hearts brigade? Id say a huge amount in this country, this is what leads to the populist parties and no party being able to actually do whats required because of the (moronic) electorate backlash! There was an article on this in the SINDO a few days back! basicly saying the way things are now,with the system at present, no one person or party can actually get anything done! The closest we have come in my opinion to proper Governance was with the PD's and look what hapened to them!

RichieO

Change to what, communism doesn't work and neither does capitalism...
No party is capable of total open honesty and transparency, there is still so much happening that we do not get to hear about until someone inadvertently lifts the lid on yet another can of worms.... I give up, there is no solution..

Het-Field

Ian Kavanagh wrote: »

How many people believe now is the time to establish a new political party that can change system once and for all ...

Create it in such a way that it will only exists for one term - long enough to put long lasting changes to the people in the shape of a referendeum with ideas such as

• reducing the numbers of TD's / senators ..
• Wages / expenses / pensions - though I do believe that they should be well paid - it pensions etc: that need to be reduced and NOT collected until 65 PLUS only one allowance
• tax systems similiar to the scandanavian countries - higher taxes, but better public services (why are we th eonly country who stuggles with this ... )
• REFORM in all aspects ...

while this is populist I believe all that is required is a decent candidate in each of the constituenties under a single banner who is willing to sacrifice 4 years fro the goo dof thr country ...

I dont have any political allegencies - in the last 4 elections I have voted for Labour, Socialist Party, FG, FF in that order

I take it you want a Ross Perot style leader !

Ian Kavanagh

What do I stay for? My two kids, I still believe its a great country to live in despite al lthe failing of the powers that be in this country - I'm not advocating socialism, captialism .... but no one can tell me that the current political parties FF, FG, Labour have anything other than grabbing the jobs for the boys on theri minds. We are in a bigger hole probably now than back in the 80's (when I was a student) due to the transfer of debt from the state to the individual ... at least back then it ws the country who owed the money and few were saddled with negative equity.

Why dont I leave ? Why now stay and attempt some sort of change - I'm not looking to lead a part, but I would love to work for some cause that woudl implement some change and not just a small self centered group.

Why not allign with an existing political group? I'm old enough to see what happened to the PD's - who believe it or not started of with high moral convictions but along the way became tainted by the trappings of power.
I can see this in the Greens also - a party that I once thought highly off. And while in a democaraey they could allign with any party they wished - I thought it was underhaned in the way that there keader pre election stated no alliance with FF, but post election stood down and took a junior ministry ...

Earlier I indicated that higher taxes would be required to be paid by all - its time we all woke up to the fact that we cant expect world class services with the current tax intake - but before any raises we need to REFORM - bring pay scales down with our european counterparts. For a country with few natural resources how do we pay top dollar for almost every profession - TD's, Doctors , school teachers, nurses - and dont quote starting salaries to me ...

If people dont react this this is going to happen again ... and again ... and again ... We need to change our mindsets - I come from a family who would vote FF every time no matter how many times they were caught with their hands in the till - surely if the anger out their is captured in some responsible way then there wil lbe trouble down the line in some way ... RANT over

LordSutch

Ian Kavanagh wrote: »

How many people believe now is the time to establish a new political party that can change system once and for all ...

Create it in such a way that it will only exists for one term - long enough to put long lasting changes to the people in the shape of a referendeum with ideas such as ............

Here's a radical thought. With Sinn Fein on both sides of the border, and now with Fianna Fail also making in roads up into the North, with the Conservatives coming across the water & joining up with the UUP, why not have some Political Party migration down South for a change, lets face it, its all been one way traffic so far.

Seriously; Why not allow the UUP, the SDLP, or the Alliance set up shop here in the Republic? notice how I left out the DUP (a bridge too far maybe)?

Three extra parties on this island that we still haven't tapped into!

LordSutch

No takers yet, maybe too radical ?

enda1

When will people realise that there is no direct correlation between tax and public services?

Efficiency of service is the parameter necessary to tackle to increase quality of service. There's no need to throw money at the problem.

meditraitor

No need for another party, if there are enough people with the same opinion as yourself, one of the parties will move in that direction to facilitate(suck up) you idea's.

The whole idea that the present political parties are in some way seperate from the people is far from the truth, we made them what they are.

The greed and selfishness of the majority of the population over the past 20 years has pushed FF to try to create the wealth for their voters, and in doing so created the problems we now live with.....

In the short term we will have to put up with the plans and inaction of a Government that doesnt have the moral right to be were it is but is legally entitled to do whatever they feel nescessary.

The new year will bring change but do we(you me everyone) know what we really want? Or need?

Who is to say that a FG/Labour government will do any better? The cards they will have to play with will be very limited by the time FF are finished greasing the palms of banks/builders and international investors.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

O'Morris

donegalfella wrote:

This post has been deleted.

What objective measure of quality are you basing that on? According to the most reason Euro Health Consumer Index report, Ireland's health system has moved from 28th out of 29 European countries three years ago to 13th out of 33 European countries today.

RichieO

It makes no difference whosoever who is in power, the end result is always the same... The political gravy train is a self preserving system, it is NOT run by the mouthpieces but by an army of invisible PS's.
It is so covert, the right hand doesn't even know it has a left hand, much less what it's doing... There are some that enter politics with the best of intentions, some even with the intention of keeping the promises they made to get in... Alas the system gently guides them through to retirement, with a pension (or pensions) that is beyond most peoples dreams... So stop trying imagine that any kind of a new party would make any difference...

IT WON'T HAPPEN... EVER...