Polls Apart

The winners in last week’s elections were our own local nationalisms – British and Irish. The already tight grip they collectively hold on political power was strengthened even further by an overwhelming majority of voters.

Well over 50% of first preference votes went to either Sinn Fein or the DUP. Smaller nationalist parties like the TUV and Aontu were also endorsed by the electorate.

The losers are anybody and everybody who wants an end to sectarian division, segregated education, segregated housing and tribal politics. Anybody and everybody who wants secure well-paid employment, an end to the culture of zero hours contracts, a low wage economy and an absence of affordable, flexible childcare.

In fact, anybody and everyone who wants a progressive, caring and supportive society can say goodbye to the possibility of movement on any of those fronts.

Class Politics

Nationalism, British or Irish, is not about any of these things. It is about division, difference, belligerence and tribalism. It is also about capitalist economics. That is why we are a Workers Party, that is why our politics and our programme are class based. That is why we refuse to roll over and submerge ourselves in sectarian populism.

Make no mistake, nationalism, both British and Irish, is a political poison that stands in the way of uniting working people here, just as it divides workers across the globe.

 Nationalism is not only a backward political philosophy: it is a toxic one. It seeks to divide and exploit difference. It is a political cancer that deliberately subverts working class unity and the struggle for socialism. We must strive at every turn to combat this toxic ideology, and never give an inch in our relentless struggle against it. We have seen time and again where it leads.

Trade Unions

It is hard to reconcile the actions of the thousands of trade unionists, workers, their families and friends who have taken to the picket lines, marches and rallies in recent months in defence of public services, jobs, better conditions, better pay and a better society, with the outcome of the local elections.

The left urgently needs to re-analyse and re-orientate itself to face down this growing political cancer and its consequences.

The trade union movement needs to ask itself if it is a vehicle for protest or a vehicle for change. We all need to ask how the power, the dynamism and the class consciousness of working people, so clearly demonstrated in recent times, can become a catalyst for positive change and a bulwark against the most reactionary and divisive elements of our society.

It is not a task that can wait.

Our Votes Send a Message too!

The major political parties are urging the electorate to use their vote next Thursday to ‘send a message’.

Depending on the party, it will be a different target, but the same message.  All their messages and all their energies are directed at their direct political opponents. It’s easy to summarise: ‘Vote for us to stop them winning’.

Message

The Workers Party wants to send a message this Thursday too. It’s a message to all those parties who have presided over child poverty, lengthening hospital waiting lists, underfunded and under resourced community care, an absence of accessible flexible child care, a lack of affordable public housing, segregated education, a divided working class, zero hours contracts, low paid part-time jobs, run down and privatised public services, a crisis in mental health provision, inadequate public transport and a lack of jobs, hope or prospects.

And our message is clear and easy to understand. The major parties haven’t failed to tackle these problems – they simply haven’t tried!

Divided

Flags, culture wars and division is all they have offered because that is all it takes to keep working people divided, to foster the divisive narrative of two communities and to secure their own futures for another term in office.

At a time when we should be moving forward together, at a time when we need to demonstrate strength and solidarity we have gone backwards. We have been dragged backwards.

British and Irish nationalism, represented mainly, but not exclusively by Sinn Fein and the DUP, see flags, community identity, language and symbolism as more important that the lives and prospects of working-class people. We are not in that camp.

A Party of Class

We are a Party of Class. Unapologetically, a Party of Class seeking the radical transformation of society and of our economic and social systems.  We have all been dragged down nationalism’s political cul-de-sac.  Now, it’s time we put Class back into politics. Now it’s time to deliver on Health, Housing, Education, Childcare and all the other priorities for working people.

Only the Workers Party can promise that, and we are committed to helping people to realise their full potential and secure a better quality of life for working people and their families.

An appetite and a desire for Class politics

As candidates and Party members continue to leaflet and canvas their respective constituencies, one thing becomes clearer by the day: now more than ever there is an appetite and a desire to see class politics consign the sectarian agendas of the major parties to the dustbin of history.

We are going to the polls in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, energy and other household bills are soaring out of control, our public services, including the NHS, are being cut back and privatised, and thousands of nurses, teachers, lecturers, council staff, civil servants, road workers, postal staff and others have been forced into taking industrial action to protect services and secure a decent wage.

That is why it is more important than ever that people vote for candidates that are prepared to make all those issues their priorities.  

That is why we must put the class back into local politics.

Election Manifesto Launched

Working People need a Workers Party – manifesto puts Class back into politics

The Council elections on May 18th are set against a background of a decade of cuts to public services, economic hardship, precarious employment, the worst cost of living crisis in recent memory, thousands of workers forced into taking industrial action and, yet again, no Executive at Stormont.

We are lectured by Tory Ministers, right-wing think tanks and others on the need for even more cuts to services, further job losses and the need to impose charges for our water, pay for our prescriptions, charge for domiciliary care, withdraw free travel for the over-60s and hike up university tuition fees.

Targeted, penalised and punished

The old, the young, workers and the most vulnerable are once again targeted, penalised and punished while energy companies make obscene profits, the Stock Markets outperform themselves and the profits of multi-national corporations exceed even their own expectations.

And all the while the five largest parties here mouth platitudes, pledge their commitment to making things better, but do absolutely nothing. They point fingers in every direction but their own, they abdicate responsibility they pass the buck to Westminster, they blame Brexit – but they do absolutely nothing.

More than £600 billion in unpaid taxes and accounts in off shore tax havens is lost to the public purse.  The Trident submarine programme and its Dreadnought replacement will cost £40 billion.

Segregated Education

Much closer to home the cost of maintaining two separate, segregated education systems cost £226 million per year: something that is supported and sustained by both Sinn Fein and the DUP.

Yet, we are told we can’t afford universal Child Benefit, affordable and accessible childcare, a modern health service, decent pay for working people, quality public services and a university education for our young people.

These elections, like all elections, are about the type of society we live in the choices that are made, the priorities that are selected and how we value our elderly, our young people and the most vulnerable in our society

The Socialist Alternative

In council chambers, Parliament Buildings, the House of Commons or elsewhere, working people need a Workers Party to protect and advance their interests and to promote the message that socialism is the alternative. That is the business we are in. Those are the goals we have set ourselves.

Putting Class Back into Poliitcs: Workers Party Election Manifesto 2023

Candidates Quotes

Party candidates on the campaign trail this week have been addressing a range of issues from cuts to children’s services, health and care developments, poverty, the manipulation of young people, economic opportunities, public housing and industrial action.

Lily Kerr: Castle

Professor Taught a Lesson:The Ulster University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Bartholomew, has been taken to task by Lily Kerr of the Workers Party for comments he made last week ahead of the visit by US President Joe Biden.

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Patrick Crossan: Collin

‘Pat on the Back’ politics: Claims by Sinn Fein that their ‘council team has delivered’ for the Collin area, have been dismissed by the Workers Party’s Patrick Crossan in a stinging criticism of that party’s local record.

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Tony Walls Court

Manipulating and Exploiting Young People:Efforts by community workers to disperse groups of young at Lanark Way and defuse recent tensions, have been welcomed by Tony Walls of the Workers Party.

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Fiona McCarthy Oldpark

Short-sighted Cuts: Fiona McCarthy of the Workers Party has condemned yet further cuts to services for young children.

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Ursula Meighan BlackMountain

Euros Opportunity:Ursula Meighan of the Workers Party has welcomed the news that Casement Park has been included in the joint bid to host the Euros in 2028.

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Patrick Lynn Botanic

Markets Victory Welcomed: Patrick Lynn of the Workers Party has congratulated the Market Development Association on its hard won, long fought for victory in securing the Stewart Street site for public housing

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Nicola Grant Newry

Progress on New Centre – a major step forward: Progress on the Newry Community Treatment and Care Centre has been welcomed by Nicola Grant of the Workers Party.

Move Over … it’s time for real change!

We have all lived through difficult and challenging times in recent years.

The cost of living, rising energy prices and political turmoil: a lot has been changing, but not everything.

Our commitment to a better, fairer life for all has remained constant over the years. That is a view shared by many.

That is why the Workers Party is standing candidates in these council elections.

Now, more than ever, socialists like us need to take a stand on behalf of working people in defence of our health, education and other public services and to fight for jobs, fair wages, housing, a healthier environment and a much, much better quality of life.

If, together, we don’t make that stand then who will? 

Not Sinn Fein, Not the DUP nor indeed any of the major parties.                                            Only a party for working  people, a Workers Party, can deliver on those goals.

The Workers Party is standing seven candidates:

Belfast Collin: (Patrick Crossan ) Newry: (Nicola Grant) Belfast Castle: (Lily Kerr) Belfast Botanic: (Patrick Lynn) Belfast Oldpark: (Fiona McCarthy) Belfast Black Mountain (Ursula Meighan) Belfast Court (Tony Walls)

Q: Got a Question or Need Advice?Email: workerspartyelection@gmail.com

Biden Not Welcome Here

This week’s viist to Northern Ireland by US President Joe Biden is neither as significant nor as important as some people would have us believe – at least not for anyone here .

In fact, he will spend very little time in Northern Ireland – just one brief engagement.
The real purpose of his visit is to secure an Irish-American vote in US Presidential
elections and to glad hand a sycophantic Irish government and a fawning Irish media
in an attempt to draw the Irish state closer to US foreign policy and NATO.

The US, which Biden represents, is guilty of warmongering, exploitation and terror. It has at least three times as many overseas bases as all other countries combined and it has used these bases to launch wars and other combat operations against sovereign states. It also uses Shannon airport to further foreign intervention and war.

The US blockade against Cuba is the most enduring blockade in history and has cost the Cuban economy many billions of dollars. Every year the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passes a resolution condemning the blockade, all ignored by the US. 

Despite world opinion, the economic, commercial and financial blockade applied by the government of the United States against Cuba is being maintained and it continues to have profound repercussions on the Cuban economy.

The blockade is deliberately designed to limit Cuba’s right to follow its own development path.  Biden continues to tighten this cruel and criminal blockade and has outrageously refused to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Biden continues support for the apartheid Israeli regime despite the fact that millions of people across the world are shocked and outraged at the brutal terror bombings, ethnic cleansing and communal violence being carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people. These crimes are committed using American armaments and funding.

The Biden administration approved the sale of $735 million worth of ‘smart’ bombs to Israel – the munitions which rained down on the population of Gaza. The United States has used its veto power many times to protect Israel from resolutions censuring its conduct in the United Nations Security Council.

For those, and a host of other reasons, BIden should not be made welcome here, or anywhere else.

Full statement here:

#bidenvisit

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Party Announces Election Candidates: ‘Putting Class Back into Politics’

The Workers Party has announced its candidates for May’s Local Government Elections.

The Party will be standing in seven constituencies across Northern Ireland under the campaign slogan ‘Putting Class Back Into Politics’.

In a joint statement the candidates were highly critical of the records of the major parties and what they described as their contempt for working people, their families and the everyday problems that they face.

“The only things that the major parties have offered to working people are Flags, Culture Wars, Unemployment and Poverty”, they said.

“It’s time for them to Move Over! It’s time for real change.  It’s time to deliver on Health, Housing, Education, Childcare and all the other priorities in life. It‘s time we put Class back into politics”

“Only the Workers Party can promise that, and we are committed to helping people to realise their full potential and secure a better quality of life for working people and their families,” they said.

The Pary’s candidates are: Ursula Meighan (Belfast Black Mountain), Patrick Lynn (Belfast Botanic), Lily Kerr (Belfast Castle), Tony Walls (Belfast Court), Fiona McCarthy (Belfast Oldpark), Patrick Crossan (Belfast Colin) and Nicola Grant (Newry)

Register to Vote: Deadline 28 April

http://www.eoni.org.uk/Register-To-Vote/Register-to-vote-change-address-change-name

Apply for an electoral ID Card: Deadline 5 May

http://www.eoni.org.uk/Electoral-Identity-Card/How-to-apply

Apply for a Postal or Proxy Vote: 26 April at 5pm

http://www.eoni.org.uk/Vote/Voting-by-post-or-proxy

NHS: Keeping Up the Pressure

Today’s 24 hour strike by healthcare workers from UNISION and NIPSA was avoidable: as have all the days of industrial action by workers across the public and private sectors over the past eighteen months.

Had Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris agreed to meet with trade union representatIves last week there would have been no strike today: but he didn’t and there was.

After today’s demonstrations, including a protest outside the Mr Heaton-Harris’s Erskine House office in Belfast city centre, comes news that he will meet with UNISON and NIPSA next week and that the industrial action planned for Monday has been put on hold. Keeping up the pressure pays dividends, eventually.

A constant struggle

The foundation of the NHS in 1948, and the securing of the principle that health care would be free at the point of use, and available to every citizen from the cradle to the grave, was amongst the most significant social developments of the 20th century in Britain and Northern Ireland. These changes were not given freely, they were won by the struggles of the organised working class.

Seven decades later neither that principle nor the institution itself are safe from private enterprise and greed, aided and abetted by free market parties at Stormont and Westminster.

That is why the pressure to defend and safeguard the NHS and its founding principles must be maintained. The Workers Party is committed to doing just that .

Holidays Food Decision “outrageous and uncaring”

The withdrawal of the Easter holiday’s food grant has been condemned as ‘ outrageous, uncaring and an assault on the most vulnerable in our society”.

Workers Party representative Tony Walls has called on the Department of Education to reverse its earlier decision to withhold funding from the families of the 96,000 children in Northern Ireland who rely on the  payments to provide nutrious food during holiday periods.

“This is an outrageous decison”, Tony said “and it will have a direct impact on childrens’ physical and mental development”.