Jimmy Kelly, former Socialist Party Member

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Tuesday December 20, 2005 00:44 by John Meehan

Jimmy Kelly was a founding member of the Irish Militant, organisational forerunner of today’s Socialist Party, 32 years ago. His party card number was one.

Jimmy Kelly, former Socialist Party Member

Jimmy Kelly was a founding member of the Irish Militant, organisational forerunner of today’s Socialist Party, 32 years ago. His party card number was one.

Recently he received a letter from the Party Headquarters saying he no longer met the criteria for membership. Technically his membership lapsed because his dues payments war not up to date, and he had not attended meetings.

I spoke directly with Jimmy about this.

He says that political disagreements about the Trade Union Activists’ Forum –

(Follow the link below)

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?search_text=trade+union+activists+forum&button=Search+%3E%3E


were a factor leading to a worsening of relations between him and the party leadership.

He also disagreed with the approach taken by the Socialist Party leadership towards another former member, John Throne.

If he wishes, Jimmy can add further details to the above.

My personal opinion, having heard his side of the story, is that the sequence of events he describes is best summarised as akin to the industrial relations concept of “constructive dismissal” – that is, life is made so uncomfortable within the organisation that the individual feels the only alternative s/he really has is: to leave. It is not an expulsion, in the literal sense, but it is a very close cousin.