“Sinn Fein has won the election,” declared party leader Mary Lou McDonald (with some justice) in early February, as results confirmed that for the first time in the history of the Irish State, neither Fianna Fail nor Fine Gael had achieved a clear majority or path to forming the next government, while “Ireland’s left-wing nationalist […]

Socialists and left unity in Ireland 2020 To members of People Before Profit, We commend your initiative, ‘let’s bring the left together to fight this government’. Although the formation of a conservative government is a threat to working class communities, it is a threat that we can meet. The fact that Fianna Fáil and Fine […]

On 24 February 2020, Raheny Fianna Fáil councillor Tom Brabazon was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin at a special meeting of Dublin City Council. His victory came in a vote of 34 to 26 (three absences) against independent candidate Anthony Flynn. In 2015, Tom Brabazon let slip an extremely conservative view of women, when he […]

Fine Gael called this election and rubbed their hands with excitement. Full employment, Leo Varadkar looking great in dealings with Boris Johnson over Brexit, property incomes soaring. What could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything that can go wrong when you live in a champagne bubble and have no insight into the struggle of those […]

Nine days into the campaign, how does the picture look for Independent Left? When senior Fine Gael members took the decision to dissolve the Dáil on 14 January and began campaigning for a general election campaign they were feeling complacent. The other parties were looking towards a May date and were caught without election materials […]