Up to 100 candidates covered by the pact and pledge across the state
Representatives from the People Before Profit Alliance, Anti Austerity Alliance, Workers Party, United Left and Independent candidates gathered today to sign up to a joint pledge committing to a national transfer pact in areas where there are multiple candidates from the various organisations. The pledge furthermore commits the candidates and their groups to stay out of coalitions with pro-austerity parties in the council chambers and to jointly fight against the ongoing austerity agenda.
Michael O’Brien, Anti Austerity Alliance candidate for the Beaumont – Donaghmede ward in Dublin City Council said:
“Next week there will be a mass desertion of voters from Labour. Those from the radical left who have been seen to struggle the hardest against the austerity agenda are poised for a breakthrough. The positions we win will be platforms for organising the fight against water taxes and other austerity measures.With the government likely to be greatly weakened after this election people’s morale to fight them can be restored.”
Nicola Curry People Before Profit local election candidate in Dublin Glencullen-Sandyford ward in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown commented
“This government promised to protect ‘the vulnerable’ yet their whole recovery strategy is focused on keeping the markets happy regardless of the damage done to our society. Austerity is destroying working class communities and it is often women, disproportionately affected by cutbacks, who are left to pick up the pieces and endure even more care burdens.”
Mick Finnegan, Workers’ Party candidate for Lucan Palmerstown in South Dublin County Council added
“Local services should be paid for through fair taxation and not increased charges on hard-pressed families. In this election people must be offered a real choice between politicians who do the bidding of the rich and those who represent workers, the real wealth producers. Only by cooperation among left-wing groups can such a progressive choice be offered.”
Brendan Young, Independent, Community Solidarity candidate for Celbridge-Leixlip in Kildare said:
“Labour is the party of broken promises. The treacherous trio of Gilmore, Burton and Howlin – without whom Kenny could not rule – are merchants of hardship and wreckers of lives. I will work with others to challenge the cosy consensus of Fine Gale-Labour, Fianna Fáil and some Independents – who willingly tax ordinary people and impose brutal cuts to protect wealthy bankers and speculators.”
—
The pledge being signed up to by the left groups and Independents is:
– As a candidate in the local elections 2014, I pledge to :
– fight property and water taxes;
– oppose any cutbacks or new austerity taxes on ordinary people;
-not to enter into coalitions or deals with the parties bringing in such measures;
– promote policies which unite ordinary people against austerity, fighting for the rights of all and resisting division on the lines of race, gender, religion or sexuality;
– call for a transfer to candidates signing up to this pledge.
Nicola CurryPeople Before Profit 