United Left Alliance Launch in Limerick, February 1st

No. 11

The newly established United Left Alliance will be launched in Limerick next Tuesday, February 1st at a public rally in the Absolute Hotel at 8pm.

High profile speakers at the rally will include Joe Higgins MEP, former TD Cllr Seamus Healy and Cllr Bríd Smith. They will outline the United Left Alliance's alternative to cuts, unemployment and the IMF, and launch the ULA's election campaign for Limerick City candidate Cian Prendiville.

Speaking ahead of the rally, Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party said:

"The ULA is striving to build a mass left alternative to the major parties that are all committed to implementing cuts and attacks on ordinary people. We have a had a series of very large launches around the country, with up to 400 in Dublin and 200 in Cork, now hopefully the Limerick launch will bring out more people interested in making a real change in this election.

"The ULA rejects solutions to the economic crisis based on slashing public expenditure, welfare payments and workers pay. Instead the ULA stands for democratic public control over resources so that social need is prioritised over profit. The ULA is open to anyone who wishes to get actively involved in building such an alternative."

Cllr Bríd Smith of People Before Profit commented:

"For the vast majority of working people and the unemployed in Limerick City I am sure the fiasco of the collapsing government pales into insignificance when compared to the collapsing living standards they have to cope with in the aftermath of the budget. For those still in work the reality of the income tax hikes and the universal public charge which is loaded against the lower paid has fully hit home this month when they have received their wage packets. Fine Gael and Labour intend keeping us on this course of cut backs for the next 5 years. The situation demands a real radical alternative across the country which the ULA will strive to provide."

The public meeting will also discuss the current controversy over the Finance Bill, which ULA general election candidate for Limerick City, Cian Prendiville, has demanded should be postponed until after the election.

Mr. Prendiville argued that "this Finance Bill is not a harmless piece of paper, rather it is a whole series of attacks on workers and the unemployed. The Finance Bill gives legal effect to the budget. Therefore you can’t be against the budget and at time ‘facilitate’ it passing through the Dail. This is utter hypocrisy and shows that they have no real differences with Fianna Fail's slash and burn agenda.

"If they were really opposed to this budget they would be demanding an immediate general election where the budget could be debated. The truth is that both the Labour party and Fine Gael have no alternative to budget cuts and austerity policies and are committed in principal to the EU/IMF bailout agreement. They may be willing to play around with the details of the budget cuts but they are committed to implementing €15 billion in cuts because they argue there is no alternative. We say there is an alternative and it begins with tearing up the EU/IMF Memorandum of Understanding and burning the bondholders. It certainly does not involve pouring money into a failed banking system and the private pockets of property developers.

"This must be a low point in cynicism in Irish politics which has seen many lows. We have here the ethics of corner boys pushing one of their number to mug vulnerable passers by while the rest skulk nearby ready to pick the victims' pockets.

"Clearly the General Election should be called immediately with the provisions of the Finance Bill and economic policy generally as the centre of debate. In this way every party will be called on to justify why working people in this State should be enslaved to the financial markets or to repudiate such a policy."

kilburn

Im busy sorry I have to clean the mildew off the ceiling in the garage that night.

irishproduce

Thanks No11

CiaranMT

kilburn wrote: »

Im busy sorry I have to clean the mildew off the ceiling in the garage that night.

Made me laugh!

No. 11, will there be any candidates running in Clare that you know of?

kilburn

Om a serious note though, congratulations on having the guts, courage and moral conviction to set up a new party but unfortunately it would not be my cup of tea but best of luck anyway with it.

No. 11

CiaranMT wrote: »

Made me laugh!

No. 11, will there be any candidates running in Clare that you know of?

No, not this time round I'm afraid. There are quite a few people from Clare who have volunteered and are involved in the Limerick ULA campaign though.

MarkR

I saw the poster yesterday in Limerick. What exactly are the policies? All I spotted was something about an alternative to bail outs and unemployment. Would this party do anything differently?

Roadend

MarkR wrote: »

I saw the poster yesterday in Limerick. What exactly are the policies? All I spotted was something about an alternative to bail outs and unemployment. Would this party do anything differently?

Burn the bond holders

barrackali

Does it really matter what their "policies" are, they have zero chance of getting into government in any form.

Our economy is currently screwed, we can't default on our everest size debt...we would be screwed for decades then.

vkid

Most analysts think we will default anyway.
Wont vote for ULA anyway but default looks like our next move either way, we can't afford to pay the debts even if we want to

Lukker-

barrackali wrote: »

Does it really matter what their "policies" are, they have zero chance of getting into government in any form.

Our economy is currently screwed, we can't default on our everest size debt...we would be screwed for decades then.

They don't want to default exactly, they want an alternitive, similiar to what Iceland did.

Cianpop

MarkR wrote: »

I saw the poster yesterday in Limerick. What exactly are the policies? All I spotted was something about an alternative to bail outs and unemployment. Would this party do anything differently?

You can check out the programme of the United Left Alliance here: http://www.unitedleftalliance.org/about-us/

Kev_ps3

Will get my Vote, not sure if Number 1 yet though.

runman

Cianpop wrote: »

You can check out the programme of the United Left Alliance here: http://www.unitedleftalliance.org/about-us/

They wan to increase corporation tax... It would destroy any chances of us recovering..I wont be voting for this party.

AnCapaillMor

runman wrote: »

They wan to increase corporation tax... It would destroy any chances of us recovering..I wont be voting for this party.

Screw that then, the idea is a noble one but it's not practical. Country needs realists at the moment not idealists.

Kev_ps3

runman wrote: »

They wan to increase corporation tax... It would destroy any chances of us recovering..I wont be voting for this party.

Recovering to what? The old economy where we depend on foreign companies for emplyment. We should look at new way of doing things.

Silentcorner

We should look to a new way of doing things...like what...we produce very little we sold off all our fish stocks to the EU, without FDI we really are goosed, fair play to these guys getting off their backsides tho, I respect that, but their policies are a little worrying to say the least.

But hope you guys get a good crowd, this country needs a shake up, people need to get out of online forums and get organising, meeting etc

Reaganomical

Interesting thread. I just read that ULA website...social development programme building public infrastructure...anyone want to tell me how they would propose to finance this, given they want to nationalise banks etc...where would the funding for this social development programme come from??

runman

Kev_ps3 wrote: »

Recovering to what? The old economy where we depend on foreign companies for emplyment. We should look at new way of doing things.

We still live in the "old economy", its our currrent economy. We are reliant on foreign investment. Its all about exports and the big money is in Pharmaceuticals and Med devices..The low corporation tax rate was a fantastic decision at the time and it still is today.

runman

schnellimbiss wrote: »

Interesting thread. I just read that ULA website...social development programme building public infrastructure...anyone want to tell me how they would propose to finance this, given they want to nationalise banks etc...where would the funding for this social development programme come from??

Spend the national pention reserve, i think thats the plan..

Dale Parish

Cut the working week?
Seriously?

Mervyn Crawford

There is no Irish soloution to the world economic crisis.

Neither is there a reform to the capitalist system which will resolve the problem.

The credit boom generated by world capitalism from the late 70's has now run it's course. To reinstall value into the monied wealth the capitalist ruling class must wring every ounce of value from the labour of the working class.

This cannot be done without brute oppression. And, as the world's ruling classes have their power based on national sovereignty, in contradiction to the single world (though unplanned) economy, then they must go to war against competing bourgeoisies.

The ULA's (and Sinn Fein's) position that we can protest/pressure/people power/trade union our way out of this dilema is a criminal illusion to propagate.

Why, might you ask, are the ULA and Sinn Fein, given such promotion via the capiatlist media if they are such a dire threat to the sytem?

More specifically, why are Higgins, Daly and the Socialist Party; and Boyd Barrett and the SWP not calling now for the Aer Lingus workers to break from IMPACT and join in battle with airline and airport workers around the globe in the fight against work and living degredation? IMPACT are hanging their members out to dry in a work-to-rule which hands all the initiative to Aer Lingus executives. Cabin crew are obviously showing determination and are prepared to fight.
IMPACT are, like all trade unions, organisations that are anachronisms. Theer are no longer any crumbs from the table that bureaucrats can palm off on union members. Working people have only one road before them - independent class action to bring down the capitalist system and instate a world socialist order. To this end they must organise politically; but with none of the dead wood and illusions of the dying era.

The ULA represent the old era of reformism. Like all 'left' reformists there is a lot of tub-thumping amounting in the end to hot air.

Mervyn Crawford

'Left' cosiness
PV:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jan2011/aerl-j31.shtml

I think the solution to your conundrum about Kelly is rather simple (“We can produce a legacy of genuine alternative views between right and left, social democracy and neo-liberalism”. )

Kelly is expressing a desire for ‘normal’ right/social-democracy bourgeois politicking.

Somewhere he can get his legs under the table without having to always doff his cap to FG.

Where handy numbers in quangos and government are on a firmer footing; and where he can espouse his patronising liberalism in the warm glow of his new, deserved, comfort.

The ULA and Sinn Fein are the traps along the road for the working class. Both these organisations represent dyed-in-the-wool reformism.

Did you get sore ears listening to Clare Daly’s valiant campaign in defence of Aer Lingus cabin staff? I think not.
The silence from the Socialist Party was deafening (of course apart from the standard ‘statements’)

And why is Adams getting such an easy ride regarding his move to Louth?
Why have no commentators pointed out the very obvious fact that the SF vote is set to fall in West Belfast because of the cuts SF are imposing; and because of Richard O’Rawe’s revelations concerning Adams’ diabolical cynicism in the Hunger Strike. And that this will further expose the myth that SF are believed in by the working class.

SF’s poor performance at the last general election in the Republic was due to class suspicion of Adams, Mary Lou & co.
The freefall of FF and the tumultuous economic shocks will stir up the capitalist election melodrama. SF might get some boost in this roller coaster; but working people rightly mistrust the stunts of Doherty and the SF TDs.

The SWP, SP and other faux lefts of the ULA work day-in, day-out to tie working people to the organisations of capitalist rule (especially the trade unions) and the bourgeois democratic system of the Dail.

The reason that the ULA has come into being, and that they and SF are getting a leg-up from the bourgeois media, is because the working people are moving to the left; and the reformist servants of the ruling class are trying desperately to keep that from it’s necessary conclusion.

kilburn

Oh by the way lads if you guys want to run for an election maybe ye should know the laws of the land. Try looking up the Litter laws for example ye might found out something startling about the putting up of election posters !

um7y1h83ge06nx

Reduce the working week without loss of pay and create tens of thousands of jobs by sharing out the work.

Not likely to work being honest.

The ULA stands for a progressive taxation system where corporation tax on the massive profits made in Ireland would be increased, which together with a steeply progressive income tax would shift the tax burden from working people to big business and the rich.

As always multinationals are the big, bad guys. Steeply progressive income tax would be a disincentive to hard work and pursuing further education. Why bother if you will be taxed to the hilt.

increases in capital gains tax

What about poor "Mary" that might have inherited a house from a will. She may be on the breadline and wants to sell the property in order to raise finances to pay off debts. However, now she will be heavily penalised as she is "rich".

We call for a real social development programme that could create hundreds of thousands of jobs building necessary infrastructure like public transport, green energy projects, broadband, child care, schools, hospitals, health centres and other community facilities.

Who pays for this?

End the reliance on the private sector

If we're all public sector employees, who will help to pay our wages?

A lot of what the ULA says will appear great to some people as it is all positive and there is no bitter pill to swallow.

However a lot of educated people can see past the nice, colourful images and see what the harsh reality will be.

D1stant

I would like to believe that the ULA and PBP have a solution. Im afraid I dont see it. have not heard one of them explain where the 19BN budget deficit comes from. I've seen a few half thought out murmurs about wealth tax.... Corrib.... property tax.... Coprporate Tax Rates

Wealth Tax? Nah - Peolple would just leave, take their stuff offshore or setup in teh UK and spend just enough time in Ireland to pay no tax whatsoever. It would have a deeply negative effect

Corrib? Im not sure on this one. I havent seen reasoned debate on it.

PropertyTax? Hmm loads a money in that :-(

Corporate Tax. No F*ckin way. Screw up the only section of the economy that is growing and provifing high income jobs. MNs come here for low tax, not beacuse we are SUCH a good workforce - thats just IDA bluff.

I do think however that collection of the 12.5% should be looked at. Google pay a ridicuosly low amount of tax by shifting money into European banks and then back into Ireland (and not back home to the US where it would cost a lot more)

And No Im not loaded or politically associated

No. 11

Great turnout and response from the meeting. Over 100 attended with a good proportion volunteering to help the election campaign in Limerick and join the ULA.

A statement of support from former-mayor Joe Harrington was read out which urged people to vote and support United Left Alliance candidates across the country and to put real working class representatives in the next Dail.

silker

All the realists out there who think the ULA is 'idealistic' and can't work.

Firstly I will say what what Irish 'realists' have said before. the economy is sound, the banking system is sound, the market is the best way to organise housing, the market is the best way to organise health, the era of boom and bust is over, property prices will never fall. Taxes in property should be cut etc etc etc. Most 'realists' have consistently voted for Fianna Fail over the last decade. Most realists are so deeply rooted in ideology they don't even realise it is an ideology!. I would ask realists to consider what they considered 'realism' over the last decade and see how 'real' it was. We have followed 'realist' advice and look where we are now.

What about the ULA. Some ask where would we get the money if all were public servants. Simple keep the profits (ESB for example makes money). Just because something is public doesn't mean it can't make money and vice versa for private companies. Look at Eircom for example. Publicly owned public enterprise making money and emplying thousnads. Now an asset stripped under invested shadow. We can also earn money from our own natural resources, take the oil fields back of Tony O'Reilly and the Gas off Shell (or even ask for royalties). As for raising the corporate tax rate. The Celtic tiger model no tax from businesses has failed. You cannot run a modern capitalist economy on 12% the american rate is triple that. Theres some realism for you.

For the moment the ULA is aiming to be the major opposition party in the dail and streets, when Fine Gael and Labour continue to attack working people we will be there.

Jumpy

I thought we were the AUL?





NO, hes over there *points*



SPLITTERS! *shakes fist*