Uncategorized

Householders struggling under massive mortgages, trying to make ends meet with pension levies and the hated Universal Social Charge, were absolutely horrified to hear Minister Phil Hogan announce that the government was going to introduce a household utility charge from 1 January next year,  with figures speculated as being in the region of €200 a year for every household!

Friday 17th June marks the 100th day of the Fine Gael/Labour government. Enda Kenny and Éamon Gilmore set out the first 100 days as being a time when they will make a significant impact on jobs and the economy.  Voters were promised a jobs budget, renegotiation of the IMF/EU deal, and widespread reform. On all fronts they have failed. Fine Gael/Labour have continued the same failed austerity economics that the hated Fianna Fáil/Green government implemented.

At the end of June, Paul Murphy MEP will attempt to sail to Gaza as part of the “Freedom Flotilla II” to bring humanitarian aid. socialistparty.net spoke to Paul about the trip.

Minister Phil Hogan has unveiled a plan to impose a quota on the number of female general election candidates that parties must stand. Starting at 30% this will increase to 40% over time. Failure to reach the quota will result in cuts to state funding to the “offending” political party.

Two excellent public meetings organised by Clare Daly TD and the Socialist Party were held in Swords on the subject of saving Metro North. The working meetings have agreed to launch a cross-community campaign to save this vital project which will bring urgently needed jobs and infrastructure to thousands of people throughout North Dublin.

The United Left Alliance, in existence just seven months, was established to pull together a slate of candidates in advance of a general election. The election then came quickly, a year and a half early, forced along because the deepening economic crisis smashed the basis for the government.

The United Left Alliance has the potential to be at the heart of the active resistance to the fresh round of attacks coming from the government in the months ahead. In order to achieve this potential there are important tasks the ULA has to focus on in the immediate future.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell is a classic book, which every socialist should read. Although written in the early part of the last century its ideas and characters are fresh and interesting. Its author was a worker who died 100 years ago in poverty but this article and review reprinted from 1977, shows how his legacy lives on.

During the evening of Thursday 16 May, the opposition youth movement that is developing in Spain brought out 150,000 protesters to occupy squares in 57 towns and cities.

The youth movement - ‘Real Democracy Now’ - is continuing and spreading. Despite the attempts of the PSOE government to ban the protests, this coming weekend is expected to see a further growth of this youth rebellion.