Last month's Socialist Outlook carried a report of a meeting in Dublin in November 2000 to discuss possible establishment of a Socialist Alliance in Ireland.
A follow-up meeting was held on February 3 to which decided in principle to stand candidates at the next General Election and formally set up the Workers and Socialist Alliance.
The organisers circulated the draft programme we print below apparently to stimulate discussion as to what programme such candidates should stand on. Opposite we carry the response to this draft by the comrades of Socialist Democracy. Decisions on programme will be taken at the next meeting. T he Celtic Tiger support to workers who take was built by the tnem on. Its elected repreefforts of Irish sentatives will only take the workers but the average workers wages. rewards have We oppose any coalition or gone to a tiny elite. The gap informal deal with the between the super-rich and crooked right wing parties of the working population has Fianna Fail and Fianna never been greater. Under Gael. the guise of social partner- We stand for the following ship, wages have been held policies down while profits soar.
All the major parties urge Share the wealth -people to accept this state of end wage affairs. They warn that if we restraint dare rock the boat and look for more, we will destroy the Profits, land prices, houses boom. But the Celtic Tiger prices, rents have all mushwill not last anyway. The roomed in the Celtic Tiger. growing signs of recession in But the only item that is the US will soon mean that controlled is wages. It is no the very bosses who claimed wonder that this has proto be partners today will duced huge inequality. come after us for redundan- • We support the right of cies and sackings tomorrow. every worker to submit The Socialist Alliance will claims for extra wages and break this cosy set up that not to be hemmed in by has benefited the super-rich. social partnership deals. We want to send TDs into Social partnership is a fraud the Dail who will expose the that promotes the myth that games of the corrupt estab- workers and bosses have the lishment and give their full came intereste • End low pay. For a guaranteed minimum wage of £200 a week after tax.
• The right to join a union of your choice. Companies must be forced to recognise these unions. End corruption -jail the corrupt politicians Politicians who have taken million in bribes are walking about freely while people who have not paid a television licence have been jailed. It is time to end a system where there is one law for the rich and another for the poor.
• Jail the corrupt politicians. Any politician found guilty of taking bribe should be immediately sent to jail.
Seize the assets of the big tax dodgers. The Criminal Assets Bureau has power to seize assets of criminals. So why should the banks be let off after they swindled millions in DIRT taxes?
• Ban corporate funding of political parties. Big business never gives out money for without expecting something in return. They should not be let buy politicians so brazenly. Housing An emergency local authority house-building programme. Rent controls and tenant rights to prevent evictions. Take building land in cities into public ownership Health A two-tier health system has grown up in the Celtic Tiger. Those with the most money get the best and fastest treatment while the poor languish on long waiting lists. The Socialist Alliance stands for:
A free National Health System, where the only criterion for treatment is need not money. A sharp increase in heath spending to bring Ireland up to the level of the EU Education Our primary schools are among the worst funded in OECD countries. Working class children are severely under-represented in the colleges and there are not enough places for mature students. 100% state funding of the school system, under local democratic control.
• Double the student grant - greater access to colleges • Pay the teachers -improve the quality of eduCADO The Environment The quality of our environment is deteriorating. On a global level the Irish government has done little to challenge US government's sabotage of policies designed to control global warming. At home, it has pushed a policy of incineration rather than proper waste management based on re-cycling.
Ban GM Foods Tackle the BSE Crisis - put the interests of consumers above the beet industrv.
No to incinerators - publicly funded programme of re-cycling. Increase public transport - cut the tares to encourage its use rather than private motoring. End racism and discrimination The Socialist alliance stands for an end to all forms of discrimination.
Sections of the political establishment are trying to stoke up racism to deflect attention from themselves. They must be stopped. We are for the right to asylum and believe that refugees should be made welcome and given the right to work • For full access to buildings, public transport for the disabled. For equality for We are for real equality for women. All employers to give equal pay and equal onportunities tor women. For free workplace and state run crèches. The Celtic Tiger has brought tens of thousands of women into the paid labour force - but it makes no provision for proper crèche facilities For fully funded rape crisis centres and refuges for women and children who have been violently attacked or abused.
• Irish women should not have to travel to Britain for abortions. Implement the Supreme Court Judgement on the X case now. The north of Many voted for the Belfast Agreement in the hope that it would bring both peace and an end to sectarianism. In reality, it has institutionalised the existing sectarian divisions and is constantly supposed to be in crisis. It has established a right wing coalition government The Socialist Alliance is opposed to any return to the armed struggle. There should be complete de-militarisation. The British army should be withdrawn and the RUC disarmed immediately.
We stand for the development of class politics in the North which unite Catholic and Protestant workers. Such unity needs to be built on the firm foundation of opposing sectarlan structures People before profit: Unite the Left The Socialist Alliance is based on a coming together of socialists from different narties and none It is a recognition that across the globe anti-capitalist ideas are growing since the great Seattle protests and that a strong socialist force 1s needed in Ireland. The Alliance does not confine itself to elections but campaigns at grass roots level for real change. By voting for the Socialist Alliance you are indicating your support for all those fighting to get a real share of the Celtic Tiger and to ensure that the needs of people come before profit.
Outlook Our alternative proposals are not definitive and are obviously open to reformulation in more 'popular' style, providing the underlying political point is still made. Neither do we reject everything in the draft, much of which is good. A lot of what we propose is only in addition to what is already there. Government General Elections are primarily about electing a new government that will run the country. Any socialist programme must have its own statement about the sort of government we want and are fighting for.
A list of policies we support must be headed by the sort of government we want to implement them, even if we are not yet able to hope to form such a government.
Such a statement is the only way to logically frame our view of other parties, possible coalitions and preference votes. Our demand cholic ne For a Workers Govern-ment! For Government that defends the interests of the working class, small farmers and oppressed in society. No coalition or support to the right wing capitalist parties. Vote for working class parties The draft programme nowhere says that we want a socialist society, but only 'a share of the Celtic Tiger' that, in another section, we say will not last. The programme should say:
The Socialist Alliance fights for a new 32 County Socialist Ireland. Social Partnership The key argument socialists have to make is that the interests of the working class and the of Irish working class unity S the central political concern of all workers in the north. International capitalism from Clinton to Blair and the Irish capitalist class and its politicians have shouted their support for it.
The international speculator, George Soros, gave LCIS of thousands to the Yes Referendum campaign.
Larry Goodman's company gave £20,000, Irish Life gave £75,000 and Marathon International Petroleum gave £10,000.
Yet the draft programme doesn't say just as clearly whether socialists support or oppose it! Is it a promise unfulfilled? In which case we should call for its full implementation. Or is it a threat, to be opposed!
The draft calls for the disarming of the RUC. Does this mean we don't call for disbandment of the RUC? That we don't think this is an issue?
Failure to call for disbandment would put socialists to the right of the Patten report from the ex-Tory minister, which at least promised a new police force.
The Socialist Alliance should state clearly that the GFA is an imperialist settlement designed to strengthen imperialist control, harden partition and sectarianism and entrench the division of the working class.
The Alliance should demand:
Oppose the Good Friday Agreement.
Self-determination for the Irish people. No to the Unionist Veto.
Smash the new Stormont. Oppose the right wing policies coming from the sectarian Assembly. For complete British withdrawal from Ireland.
Disband the RUC. Scrap all repressive leg-