Labour leadership

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Friday October 25, 2002 16:21

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein

maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

The Most Exciting Vote Ever

Have you been as transfixed as I to the crucial political debate taking place as some of the greatest socialist worker's leaders of our time battle for the heart and soul of the vanguard of the Irish workers and labour movement?

Have you been as transfixed as I to the crucial political debate taking place as some of the greatest socialist worker's leaders of our time battle for the heart and soul of the vanguard of the Irish workers and labour movement? Tempered after weeks of red-hot political debate amongst the passionate and vociferous Labour party membership they have come to this point where, in that bastion, that invincible stronghold of the Irish working class, Ely Place, their fates hang in the balance. There, supported by their stout-hearted comrades these implacable foes of the big business class will await the verdict of one of the most informed and ideologically committed party memberships in Europe, nay the world.

Even now, workers are gathering outside waiting anxiously to find out who their Messiah will be, deaf to the pleas of the capitalist lackies in the police to move on. One can only wonder at the pride and pleasure this gith would give James Connolly.

Indeed, anyway, the newsworthiness of this bored rant is that counting has begun, about 3,000 of them voted, first count expected at 5.30 and results later this evening. Anyone else think other than that Rabbite and Penrose have it locked down?

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Comments (9 of 9)

Kettle Black

by SF watcher

Fri Oct 25, 2002 16:27

At least they have a leadership election. It seems to me that SF have a northern oligarchy in power, when was there any debate within SF about where there party is going?

SF Elecions

Fri Oct 25, 2002 16:52

All SF elected leadership figures are elected on an annual basis at the party's Ard Fhéis at which every cumann and cuige sends delegates.

The bun fight

by Mags

Fri Oct 25, 2002 17:31

First tallies say Rabbitte is well ahead, with Burton and Pensrose close for the deputy post. Hope Penrose gets it - he is a decent enough guy as a person and is actually from a working class background. Burton strikes me as the typical middle class female Dublin Labour hack. Though apparently she was on what passed for 'the left' once.

Early indications...

by MG

Fri Oct 25, 2002 17:52

Leadership (with 30% of 1st preference votes counted):

Pat Rabbitte - 44.1%
Brendan Howlin - 30.6%
Eamon Gilmore - 18.2%
Roisin Shorthall - 7.2%

Deputy leadership (with 25% of first preference votes counted):

Willie Penrose - 33%
Liz McManus - 29%
Joan Burton - 24%
Joe Costello - 12%

for those unfamiliar with bastions of Dublin´s working class a short note on Ely Place.

by iosaf mac d.

Fri Oct 25, 2002 18:10

barcelona

Ely Place is located to the East of Stephens Green in Dublin´s 02 postal district.
The place is set off by Ely House which occupies the terrace exactly opposite Stephen´s Green.

The place is home to several institutions, banking interests and a private hospital, (which may have been closed now, not sure, is the Skin hospital still there?)

Most interestingly the Knights of Columbanus have their Irish headquarters in Ely House.
From their such interesting campaigns as SPUC and other right wing groups have plotted something or other.

The knight of Columbanus are not just right wing Catholic businessmen however they are credited with some "good work" for charity and have a Credit Union for brethren and their families.
Credit Unions are a wonderful anarcho-syndicalist way of saving money for communities without the nasty side of Capital investment in paid staff or premises.
Maybe our new 21st century activists enboldened by recent co-operative experiments might ask the Knights of Columbanus for a pamphlet on how the Credit Union system works.

Or perhaps the new technical grouping in Dail Eireann could ask its Independent member to make the inquiries on behalf of the 21st century activists, who will recognise the pastiche buildings to the south of the place. These which are home to various multi-corporative financial interests were deemed by a 20th century Dublin Corporation to be "in keeping with Georgian Architectural heritage".

I´ve included a link to a website which features a Knight of Columbanus building with 23 stories.
Bit confused are the 21st century Knights when it comes to symbolism and brethren code.

Justin Please!!!!

by Des

Fri Oct 25, 2002 18:16

Justin, how on earth could you be interested in the "Labour" leadership farce, those shits sold the working class down the river a long time ago. Remember their support for Nice two, the tax amnesties, their participation in "coalition" governments? they are not in any way different from FF or FG.

Run Rabbitte Run...

Fri Oct 25, 2002 18:35

18.15pm: Howlin concedes defeat. The champagne socialists have a new leader!

PS: Des, I think Justin was being sarcastic...

Ely place runs north / south

by ronnie drew

Fri Oct 25, 2002 18:51

dublin´s great my dublin

The Skin hospital was on Hume Street.
There´s a good art gallery on Ely place as well, but not untainted by economic scandal either.
Credit Unions are anarcho-syndicalist in so much as the collective is subject to open decision making, but money is still very silly to most anarchists, Credit unions when used by Champagne Socialists, Knights of Columbanus or Technical Groupings are a good means of applying collective economic power as well, and if run in concert with LETS systems of lending / exchanging tradeing systems and a "ethical" investment plan they might just, only just, reach the approval of anarchists who will never stop reminding ye all that we care, we hold our fire, we are under all your feet, we have all the best ideas and even if we do not recognise the social/psychological/structural need or benefits of parliamentary state governance we like most other people do take an interest.
O as if!

rabit the unorigional new labour leader

by blueshirt labour

Mon Oct 28, 2002 23:59

Mags is quiet right to point out that 'Burton strikes me as the typical middle class female Dublin Labour hack'

Eithne Fitzgerald (ex blueshirt Garretts daughter) is even worse and the younger generation of such as Ivana Batcik seem to be following in the time honoured tradition of 'infiltrating' the establishment in order to make themselves feel like they really care. Rabbit said he wants more new members especially girlie members so he seems to be aping tory Blair and his 'blair babes' strategy, whAT ELSE WILL HE COPY, SPIN DOCTORS? NEW LABOUR? SUPPORT FOR GEORGIE W? ETC ETC

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Comments (9 of 9)