Workers Party speaker slates the EU at last nights meeting in Wynnes Hotel
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news report 
Thursday October 10, 2002 19:15
by Unity is strength
Workers Party speaker donounces EU in a powerful speech and says that we have nothing to thank the EU for
Workers Party speaker Andrew in a hard hitting speech pointed out that the Working class has nothing to be thankful to the EU for. Other speakers included Joe Higgins and the SWP and Colm Breathnach from the ISN, recently returned from Palestine, who strongly denounced Irish Times liberals who were nowhere to be seen when anti racist work is being done but who cynically harangue the left about Barrett. Other speeches focussing mainly on neutrality but somewhat steering clear and weaker on economic criticisms were also made by the Greens and Sinn Fein.
It was positive to see them all sharing a platform and mostly agreeing on such an issue as Nice for a change.
Comments (14 of 14)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14Yes I agree that the contribution from the WP was a good contribution. And it was positive to see unity from the left in opposing Nice.
However to say that the "Other speeches focussing mainly on neutrality but somewhat steering clear and weaker on economic criticisms" is wrong. Clare Daly strongly came out on Article 133 and the privatisation agenda behind the Nice Treaty. Other conributors from the SP also made sharp criticisms of the economic side of Nice.
I think that 'Unity is strength' is seeing the WP speaker through rose tinted glasses, membership of the WP is influencing his viewon Andrew McGuinness' speech.
Personally I thought that the best speakers from the platform were Clare Daly (SP) and Colm Breathnach (ISN). Most of those speaking from the floor were very good too.
Joe Higgins also made a very good chairman, personally I think he should get the Nobel Peace Prize for succeeding in getting the WP and SF sitting beside each other on the same platform!!
its good to see the sticks taking a break from property developing to campaign against nice.
will nice impede the WP property developing schemes? A luxury hotel developed in cork; where are the WP offices? Nice suite.
luxury apartments in hill st, no workers need apply, no provision for social housing. pp refused though. don't worry, the oira will get the planning dept to change their mind.
well sticking up posters makes a change from sticking up banks.
Unfortunately, I missed the meeting. I wonder if anyone that attended got the feeling that there may be a possibility of a progressive alliance of sorts and that something more concrete may come from such collaberation on the left?
An alliance could be formed, but it would hardly be progressive if it included the WP. Property developers* generally do not make good socialists. Neither do bank robbers, counterfeiters** or those who run protection rackets***.
These activities are all carried out by the WP. Don't bother denying it John, you won't fool anyone here.
*WP office in Cork where is it now? Anyone wish to elaborate pn property developments?
WP HQ in Dublin. Any news on the luxury apartments? How about social housuing committments?
** Wheres Comrade Lynch these days? North Korea?
*** Who took over Doc Dohertys protection racket on the Cork Docks?
When did the OIRA disband? (ha ha)
When will they decommission their arms? (ho ho)
What happened to the money which was made as a result of property developments on the WP office site in Cork? Was it given to the WP? Do the ordinary members know? (tee hee)
the stickies are property developers
The provos are publicans
The earps are mad
The Trots are Stalinists
The Greens are Hippies
The anarchists are middle class
Why am I the only sane person in Ireland?
At the No to Nice public rally I found it interesting looking at the various groups there.
To be honest the workers' party looked very old, not just their membership but also their politics. Their argument was nationalistic, about neutrality etc. they made very little mention of privatisation etc.
I was very impressed by the Socialist Party. Clare Daly was an excellent speaker and put her arguments across very well. Also the SP had good speakers from the floor. They also seem a lot younger, vibrant and more in touch with reality when compared to the WP. Joe Higgins also made a good chair.
As for Sinn Féin, I dont know why it was that Mary Lou McDonald had to leave half way through. It seems to me that the Shinners didn't really care for the Alliance that much.
Colm Breathnach from the ISN was very good speaking. His criticism of the Irish Times journalists was totally correct.
I really don't see what the point of such a meeting was. Surely a "public rally" against Nice with a long list of speakers who are in broad agreement with each other is likely to attract only the convinced, and even then probably mostly memebers of the concerned parties. Wouldn't it have been better to put the considerable resources expended into say a campaign bus-tour around the country, or even some type of media stunt, picket, occupation or whatever.
It's not that I don't see the value of debate and discussion between the various left political parties, but a public rally a week before the vote is hardly the forum.
Or maybe I'm wrong and the event did attract loads of undecided and unaligned voters and did attract media attention?
chekov is right the resources expended on this meeting could & should have been put to better use.
who cares if an elderly wper made (in the opinion of a party hack) a great speech?
i would have admiration for most of the platform party. but the ind socs would have been better off puttin the money & time into more leaflets & campaigning.
Checkov,
You're right that it would be pointless to just sit in a room and agree. However at the meeting it was emphasised that we needed to get active on the campaign.
Most people there were already in the middle of their own campaigns. Most parties there are doing activities on Nice. At the meeting individuals could get leaflets etc.
the meeting seemed good all right, but a bus is also a great idea and is needed to get the message out to many ignored towns.
I think that the referendum is best fought in Dublin. That's where one-third of population live. Most people in this state live in Dublin, Cork, Limerick etc. in each city there are activists. I wouldn't worry about 'ignored towns', you're wasting your time going to small towns.
I thought that the meeting was excellent. The hall was packed, the speakers were good.
I agree with the comment above that Clare Daly's (Socialist Party) and Colm Breatnach's (ISN) speeches were particularly good. The Green Party TD probably made the weakest speech, displaying quite remarkable illusions in the wonders of the United Nations. With a few exceptions the people who came in from the floor were very good too.
So what's the point in having this kind of rally? Well a few people who haven't decided which way to vote will normally show up, but more important is the rally's organising potential. Socialist Party speakers laid heavy emphasis on the need for people attending the rally to get involved in campaigning - from talking to their friends to taking leaflets to distribute or whatever. In addition quite a number of journalists attended though as it happens I don't think reports appeared in any of the mainstream papers.
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