National Forum

Brussels Sprout

Just saw a guy on about this on The FrontLine and found myself agreeing with a lot of what he said.

He was on with Richard Boyd Barrett as they were representing new left and right wing movements.

Amongst other things he mentioned:

• Getting rid of multi seat constituencies and bringing in a list system
• Reducing the number of TDs and reforming the Seanad
• Shredding the Croke Park agreement and cutting the wages of those over 35k in the PS
• Means testing child benefit and old age benefit

Here's their website. No details on where they're running people in the GE

MagicMarker

I thought he came across exceptionally well tbh. He said there's no plans to run in the GE at present but that may change. Apparently they only formed a month ago!

paddy462

In the next election I'm likely to vote FG and Labour. I was impressed with them when they were last in power. I have for a while though believed that the country needs a new Liberal Democratic Party. Lots of people are looking for political change and a new group of people to come forward.
I put up a post here last week on the United Left Alliance. They are not a group I would support but thought it was good for a new group to come together and offer an alternative.
The Liberal Democratic Party I've been hoping will come is likely to come from the National Forum. I've been watching the Frontline tonight, I'm sure like many others. I was interested in what both groups have had to say. I was most impressed by the National Forum and what they stand for. It's struck a cord with me. The same was with people watching it as well.
I was surprise to hear they are not considering running candidates for the moment. Were many hear impressed by what's on offer from both sides? Should the National Forum run candidates at the next election?

I've checked their website as mentioned on the Frontline, http://www.nationalforum.ie, it's worth a read.

johnnyskeleton

It's interesting that the new extreme left and right parties basically have the same policies.

They are also quite popular because they are not FF/FG, who people are pretty sick of. I thought the struck a nerve with the people on frontline, particularly the comment that they are more alike than disalike, because neither is part of the punch and judy act which is FF/FG/

However, Marc Coleman, be under no illusions, is not the brightest guy on the planet. His whole economic theory is that more people = more demand = higher house prices = better economy. He also advocates that mortgages should be passed on to people's children rather than risk property prices actually going down.

Equally, RBB is a former socialist worker and believes that corporation tax should be increased.

I don't like their stance on privatisation as it's an area I'm very much against. Restructure them, yes, but don't pass them on to private investors for a quick buck.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Im not a fan of their plan to scrap STV.

skelliser

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Im not a fan of their plan to scrap STV.

PR is the reason we will be stuck with FF/FG Gombeen politicans forever more.
Its destroyed this country.

Time to move to the list system.

As regard the debate it was a breath of fresh air.
If these parties do well in the election, FF/FG should be scared as both Andrews and Hayes looked tired and repetitive.


The political landscape in ireland is going to be completely changed in 5 years.
Fianna Fail are going to suffer, i doubt they well ever recover, more likely to melt away.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

It emphasizes parties over individual candidates, which I don't feel is a good system.

skelliser

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

It emphasizes parties over individual candidates, which I don't feel is a good system.

and thus you will be stuck with the Healy Rae and Lowry's of this world. Only interested in getting a good deal for their constituents and country be damned.

Rockfish

skelliser wrote: »

PR is the reason we will be stuck with FF/FG Gombeen politicans forever more.
Its destroyed this country.

Time to move to the list system.

.

It's not PR that is the problem but it's the multi seat constitiunecies imo. I think you are getting mixed up. For instance a list system would be based on pr principles

nesf

On the surface I should really like this group, being on the centre right myself and while I do agree with many of their proposals, the scrapping of PR-STV being a big one, a casual glance through their economic plan reveals a not very well thought out or realistic set of populist proposals.

I am disappointed.

dermot_sheehan

I thought they were called the National Alliance,

anyone know why they changed their name 1 week after launching?

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

View

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

It emphasizes parties over individual candidates, which I don't feel is a good system.

Our parliamentary system revolves around political parties, hence a list system puts the emphasis on the political parties rather than on the fiction that the individual candidates are going to take independent lines once elected.

dan_d

The more options there are out there, the better.
That's the bottom line for me!!!

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

2nd Republic

Posters here may be interested in visiting www.2nd-republic.ie.

Second Republic is a movement to advance the agenda for political reform in Ireland but not impose our particular vision of reform on anyone.

We are planning to meet in the Gresham Hotel this Saturday to discuss our campaign to see "pledges" to reform from candidates and parties running in the coming election.

All are welcome.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

skelliser wrote: »

and thus you will be stuck with the Healy Rae and Lowry's of this world. Only interested in getting a good deal for their constituents and country be damned.

I think the main reason for people like them coming to power is the stupidity of a lot of Irish people. I'm not going to support a system I regard as less democratic, merely because it produces results I happen to like. I have my party preferences as much as anyone but I don't want to be forced into having my vote for a candidate become a vote for the party as a whole.

Whats with their plan to create 8 local authorities? Are they planning to amalgamate counties together to create much larger councils?

james.xix

I emailed them about their plans if any to run in the next election. They are to contact everyone who left messages of support with them. I think they should stand. The country needs an alternative on the centre-right.

Pete_Cavan

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Whats with their plan to create 8 local authorities? Are they planning to amalgamate counties together to create much larger councils?

You dont need to amalgamate counties, just amalgamate the county councils into regional councils (the only reason to have counties now-a-days is for GAA championships anyway, imo).

One of the main problems in this country, we spend huge amounts of money administering relatively small areas. Also each county has its own development plan which takes little or no account of their neighbours. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Dublin where we have four councils who think they are competing against each other and are actually hampering the development of the city. Bigger administrative areas prevents duplication in providing services, allows for greater purchasing power, would be more efficient and would see investment focused on the most important infrastructure in the region (ie. a road linking the major towns which may be in two or three different countys would be upgraded instead of the current situation where a more heavily trafficed road may be neglected because each county council wants to focus on roads in their county only).

The main problem with this country is that our national politicians focus on local issues and neglect the primary reason they were elected, to run the country, hence the IMF are here.

kaiser sauze

2nd Republic wrote: »

Posters here may be interested in visiting www.2nd-republic.ie.

Second Republic is a movement to advance the agenda for political reform in Ireland but not impose our particular vision of reform on anyone.

We are planning to meet in the Gresham Hotel this Saturday to discuss our campaign to see "pledges" to reform from candidates and parties running in the coming election.

All are welcome.

One Republic is enough. Thanks.

Sponge Bob

kaiser sauze wrote: »

One Republic is enough. Thanks.

The second republic is the name of a package of constitutional and legal measures to change the current FF/FG dominated cesspit that got us where we are.

Cags

The National Forum - Presenting The Alternative.

Please check out the link below - MEETING 20TH JAN 7PM THE STRAND HOTEL LIMERICK - for anyone who thinks that not only have our politicians failed us but also continue to uninspire us! There could be an alternative...you could be part of it...pass it onto to your friends...THE NATIONAL FORUM MID WEST CONVENTION.

we have lined up the respected Ed Walsh to give a talk on economic and political reform on Thursday night ( The Strand 7pm, 20th Jan ) anyone with any interest in the current state of affairs will have an interest in this.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http....ie/&h=44120

Bottle_of_Smoke

What exactly do they mean by

Where our country currently stands:

The nuclear Family discriminated against in our tax and welfare code