Ruairi Quinn Opens Labour Youth Conference

by Jeremy Spring - - Sat Nov 20, 2004 16:58 -

My arse! I don't understand why anybody would invite this glib superannuated fraudster to open their conference.

I once attended a Labour conference, where I heard Ruairi argue that James Connolly was Labour's first coalitionist - as if being strapped into an execution chair was somehow equivalent to being strapped into a ministerial Mercedes.

Ruairi was asking the conference to allow him to make the ultimate sacrifice of taking his place at the cabinet with Fine Gaelers.

What a slimeball!

by John Sat Nov 20, 2004 18:13

Could Mr. Quinn tell us what the figure was when he was Minister for Finance? Just wondering.

by Michael Sat Nov 20, 2004 18:26

I think it was Gareth Fitzgerald who wrote an Op-Ed for the Irish Times a week or two after Ireland finished on the UN SC, gushing with praise for our brave diplomats in New York. Truth be told, Ireland didn't just sit and watch as the Republic of Iraq -- who sit beside us in the UN GA by the way -- was being prepared for a flagrant act of aggression by the US and it's lackeys. The Irish government and diplomatic core bent over backwards to facilitate the conspiracy to attack Iraq, then the attack itself, and the horrors of the occupation too.

by Elephants never forget Sat Nov 20, 2004 18:59

Ruari is more than just the 'Labour Party Spokesperson on European Affairs and Deputy for Dublin South East', he is a former Minister for Finance.

His period in office was one when wealth was radically redistributed in Ireland - tax measures were implemented which had the effect of taking money from Ruari's working class constituents and giving it to the likes of his brother and his cousin (Lochlainn & Fergal), two of the richest people in Ireland.

Ruari and his ilk depend on our short memories in order too rebrand themselves as socialists so that they can get back into office, and start all over again implementing the 'responsible' fiscal policies demanded by bankers and supermarket owners.

Ho Chi Quinn indeed

by Lefty Mon Nov 22, 2004 11:45

At the Labour Youth conference at the weekend a new executive was elected and it as follows:

Chairperson: Donal O'Liathain
Vice-Chair: Patrick Nulty
Secretary: Caoimhe Ni Choncathair
Education: Eoghan Beecher
International: Garetth Keogh
Recruitment: Kieran Walsh
Communications: David long

The conference also passed severals motions including:

1. A call for a boycott of all Israeli good and services along with trade sanctions against Israel until such time as the situation in Palestine has been addressed.

2. Support for anti-g8 protests and against nuclear power.

3. Radical reform of the taxation system including raising corporation tax to 17.5%, a restructuring of PAYE and the introduction of a basic income system.

4. Continued opposition to the use of Shannon airport by the US military.

5. Opposition to a rigid pre-election pact with any other party and a call for Labour to present themselves as being the leading party in any future government.

There was lots of motions passed and thats just a flavour of them.

by Michael Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:28

Before boycotting all Israeli goods, including food and cultural items like music and art, why not start at home with Irish arms exports to Israel? Stopping Irish arms exports to Israel would be more possible, me thinks, for an Irish government, or even just a palestine solidarity movement.

It might mean that our good friend down the road who makes DSPs for helicopter gunships will have to find a different revenue stream. It's doable though.

I doubt that a majority of people in Israel would support a boycott of Israeli products. It's not the same as South Africa.

by big jim Mon Nov 22, 2004 16:56

Fuck me !! To the barricades comrades. Victory to New Labour who of course have nothing whatsover to do with the party that has been in power for 12 of the last 30 years.

by E Mon Nov 22, 2004 17:57

So Donal Lyons is now the chair of Labour Youth, are Danny Finn and James Redmond still claiming that Socialist Alternative was a left wing split from the SWP?