Press Statement: Paul Murphy TD (RISE - part of Solidarity - People Before Profit) 14 January 2020
- Real alternative to Punch and Judy of FF and FG exists
- Green New Deal needed to tackle climate change
- People power movements and socialist representatives have made a real difference
Speaking ahead of his election campaign launch in Tallaght this evening, Paul Murphy TD of RISE, who is standing as a Solidarity - People Before Profit candidate, commented:
It looks like Leo Varadkar is going for a short snap election in order to avoid a real scrutiny of his government’s record of crises. While these masters of spin trot out blatant lies about the number of social houses built, they preside over the worst housing crisis in the state’s history, a deepening and deadly health crisis and public services that are at breaking point. These would be a stain on any government’s record yet Leo Varadkar has said that he is not ashamed of this record of leaving 4,000 children homeless. Maybe he’s talking about the record profits for landlords and private developers? These results are the inevitable consequences of their Thatcherite policies, which mean profits for the wealthy and crises for the rest.
The refusal by Fine Gael to take the radical action necessary to tackle climate change, blocking the Climate Emergencies Bill and pushing ahead with the Shannon LNG terminal, is criminal. It throws away our future for the sake of profits. The science is clear, we have ten years to transition our society while ensuring no community or worker is left behind. We can’t afford to give these foot draggers more time. We need a Green New Deal with socialist policies.
We are set for three weeks of a Punch and Judy show defined by the media as a contest between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Fianna Fáil will be able to highlight this government’s multiple failures, while Fine Gael will point out how when Fianna Fail was in power, the same crises existed. An alternative to these two right-wing neo-liberal parties is desperately needed. Unfortunately however, parties like the SocDems and the Greens are vying to be in position to coalesce with Fine Gael or Fianna Fail after the election. Unfortunately, Sinn Féin has also indicated they would go into coalition with these parties. We know from the experience of Labour and the Greens in coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that such a government would disappoint people who are looking for change.
A radical alternative and a real choice does exist, and this election needs to be used to build it further. The biggest victories won by ordinary people in the course of this Dail - defeat of the water charges, marriage equality and abortion rights, were won by people power movements, with Solidarity - People Before Profit TDs playing crucial roles. We need to return as many principled left TDs, who rule out coalition with the establishment parties and fight for socialist change, as possible. Doing so will strengthen the hand of working class people facing any future government which continues entrenching inequality and prepares to implement more austerity, as well as laying the ground for ending the rule of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and fighting for a left government with socialist policies.