Fine Gael have been in power for the last 14 years. Fianna Fáil were in power for 18 years before that. Together, they have run the 26 counties for over one hundred years.
So, they cannot escape blame for the worst housing crisis ever. Last week it was revealed that 40 homeless people had died this year, mainly unnecessary deaths. Thousands of young people are emigrating because they see themselves as part of the locked-out generation.
By any stretch of the imagination this government is a disaster. Irish workers pay relatively high rates of tax but get little by way of return in terms of quality public services.
But big corporations enjoy the tax haven where senior executives can write down their tax bill by sending their sons and daughters to private schools.
We need to end the rule of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael – that much is clear. But who will replace them? Who will lead a different type of government?
Up to last year, it looked like Sinn Féin could fulfill this role. They rose in the polls to 37% and so the prospect of a Sinn Féin linked government seemed a real prospect. Many were willing to support them because they appeared to be the only realistic way of getting rid of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael dominance.
But in the last opinion poll Sinn Féin has dropped to just 16%, losing over 20% in support over the last year.
The reason is also clear. They have dithered. They tried to appease the political establishment, hoping to gain entry. When the far right emerged, they ran for cover and refused to hit back. If anything, some of their members began to adapt to their rhetoric. Then came a media offensive over a series of scandals.
By itself this media offensive might not have caused much damage as many saw through the hypocrisy of the government talking about ‘child protection’. But the backsliding of Sinn Féin already made them look untrustworthy.
We need a real left in this country. One that is willing to fight for socialist politics and one which is not afraid to face down the privileged and their friends in the mainstream media.
That will not come from the soft left of the Labour Party or the Social Democrats. Labour has been edging their way into governing coalitions in local councils, indicating that they will do exactly what they did during previous coalitions – sell us out.
Neither will the Social Democrats rule out coalition with the right. Instead, they moralise about ordinary people who do not want to pay property tax. Instead of demanding more taxes from the rich, they think that property taxes can help fill the public purse.
That leaves People Before Profit it as the only serious left in Ireland . We stand for basic left policies such as taxing the rich to fund publics services. We have opposed moves to end neutrality and join NATO. We have stood up against the barrage of propaganda about funding a proxy war in Ukraine.
We have been the most ardent defenders of Palestine in the Dáil, demanding the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador, and the closing of Shannon airport to US troops.
If you want to increase the number of strong left-wing voices in the Dáil – as a step to the creation of a real Left government – now is the time to help in the coming general election.
Get in touch at [email protected] and we will discuss how you can help.
