We need a socialist government
On 7 March around 1,000 people rallied and marched to “stop the stitch-up” and make clear they don’t want a return of either Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Below is the text of our leaflet handed out at the event.
The era of right-wing domination is over.
For the first time in Irish history, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael got less than 45% of the vote. But they are determined to hang on to power. With Sinn Féin getting the biggest share of votes, they have a historic opportunity to deliver the changes they promised in their manifesto.
Will Sinn Féin deliver?
It is worrying that SF won’t rule out coalition with FF/FG. Both FF and FG represent the landlords, big developers, and the big corporations. They don’t want the change we want. Negotiating with them would mean compromising on what we need to end the crises in housing and public services.
Sinn Féin’s acceptance of the rules of capitalism, that profit comes before people has already meant passing austerity measures in the North and selling public land to developers as part of Councils in the South. We need to keep up the pressure on them to to refuse compromising with either FF or FG to form a government.
An alternative government is possible
An alternative government without FF or FG is possible if FF or FG can be forced to abstain on the vote for Mary Lou McDonald for Taoiseach. In that case, a government could begin to implement a programme of radical reforms - including introducing a rent freeze, dropping the Apple tax case, returning the pension age to 65 and increasing the minimum wage.
If FF or FG bring that government down, another election would result, where the socialist left should fight for a majority left government willing to go much further.
Why we need a socialist government
It would not be enough to just exclude Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. So long as the construction companies, banks and insurance companies, big agri-business, and the energy companies are privately owned and run for profit, we will not have control over the resources necessary to fully deliver the change people want.
We need socialist policies - which means taking these industries into public ownership and giving democratic control to the workers who actually do the work and the communities they serve - to end the crises in housing, health, and education, and to make sure our future is safe from climate disruption.
If workers made the decisions, we could...
...hire the nurses, GPs, teachers, engineers, bus and rail workers, and all who are needed to end the waiting and make our public services free for everyone to use.
...shorten the work week without loss in pay and give everyone more time to spend with families and friends and to be active in the community.
...take over the energy sector, rapidly reduce the use of fossil fuels and build wind turbines, solar panels, and a new electric grid, all owned and controlled by working-class people.
Build a new mass left-wing party
There is a desperate need for a mass political party of the left. Because of Sinn Féin’s acceptance of the capitalist market and its hesitancy to engage with people-power movements, it will not be that party.
None of the existing radical left parties are likely to grow directly into that mass left party either. Instead, we need a left party that is anti-capitalist, anti-coalition and anti-oppression, while being open for different groups to organise within it.
RISE and our TD, Paul Murphy, wants to work with others to build such a party. While fighting for every reform in the here and now, we are a revolutionary socialist group that sees the need to end the rule of the bosses and big corporations.
Join us! Email us at RiseSocialists@gmail.com to find out more!