Through Irish eyes
A tale of two alliances - the story so far
Inspired by the movements in Britain, independent leftists in Ireland have tried to build a comparable socialist unity in Ireland.
This was initially based on the idea that the SWP and SP would unite to create the new alliance. This perspective collapsed at the first meeting when the SP made a sectarian refusal to unite with others.
The process continued with attempts by smaller groups and independents to unite with the SWP.
Programmatically, the SWP proposed a populist electoralism that would adapt to the SP by, amongst other things, adopting a partitionist perspective.
This rightward drift was also reflected organisationally, with greater emphasis on local organisations rather than a broader electoral unity.
Now there has been a further shift to the right. The SWP has set up local red-green alliances in Belfast and Derry. Socialist Democracy was not invited to the initial meetings, even though we had written to the SWP requesting a meeting.
The programme of the new alliance (as illustrated by the text on the right) has no connection even with the rather weak southern programme or even with any explicitly socialist demands and is in practice by refusing to raise the issue, a capitulation to the new sectarian structures being set up following the Good Friday agreement.
The unity movement is not quite dead.
There is still a slightly greater willingness to discuss with each other on the left and the opportunity to test this in practical campaigns where we can unite in a principled way.
Through Irish eyes - a column from Socialist Democracy - Irish section of the Fourth International