Cllr Christy Burke Resigns from Sinn Fein

by Ken Lee - Non Party Sat Jun 13, 2009 21:29

....if your party doesn't give you 100% backing, isn't it reasonable and understandable if you don't 'toe the party line'?
Christy Burke just boxed clever and played his hand well. He was active a long time in the NIC before Adams and the like ever set foot in it ( I think), he isn't the first Sinn Féiner to go against party rules. Who's lost count of how many splits there have been in the Shuffling Feathers down the years?
The reality is, ironically, that if Councillor Burke had taken this action not to many years ago, people might be lamenting his loss as he lay dead in a ditch. What's good for the low fat, is good for the weightwatcher, so to speak.

I hope Christy Burke doesn't stay independent and at least comes to some understanding with the growing -and hopefully, more maturing- genuine left. As good as Tony Gregory was as an independent socialist, his impact was limited and unfortunately, some of the people that were around him are hypocrites. Nine to five 'socialists' I would call them, self appointed merchants.

In light of what Burke's reasons are/were and the speculation that's been going on since, isn't it worth asking, what is or isn't going on in Sinn Féin?
This is politics after all, Starry Flusterers, the test will be at the next bye/general/council elections, try and grow up and do your best to get over it.

As regards left or right, between the podcast and the RTE news article, it's still seems bit vague. Barring a definative statement from the man himself, make your own minds up.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0609/burkec.html

Podcast No.11

Councillor Christy Burke explains to Joe and the listeners why he has decided to leave Sinn Féin.

Liveline Podcast - Cllr Christy Burke leaves Sinn Féin 09 June 2009 01:00

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_liveline.xml

You still have my No.2 CB.

Roll on the revolution.

by Con Carroll Sat Jun 13, 2009 18:43

Tuesday evening I was told, that there has been intimdation by Christy Burke's brother against Joseph Rafferty, sister. which resulted of damage to her car. her brother was shot in Dublin. she was a local independent candidate in the election. Christy has remained silent on these allegations.

by N I C voter Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:33

It's up to each person whether they want to follow a party line or act as independent, but you can't have both. Christy Burke stood in the election for a party.

He didn't mind taking the help in the form of election material from Sinn Féin, nor did he resist signing a pledge to say he would give up the seat if he left the party for any reason. He had ads in newspapers etc paid for by the party members who raised money for the election. They did not know that Christy intended to leave the party a few days after the results, so they were working and raising money for the election of an independent without knowing it.

by punter Sat Jun 13, 2009 09:36

The one thing any elected party public representative should assert is the right to a personal judgement of vital local issues. If Christy Burke thinks it is in the interests of his constituents, especially the traditional street fruit-and-vegetable sellers, that Moore Street be redeveloped, then he is right to assert his judgement against any ideological 'line' his party may have on the issue. (The preservation of the building where the 1916 surrender took place is undoubtedly a national issue and needs cross-party consideration.)

Let us face it: the party discipline system has served Irish politics badly these past 80 years. Too many "sound men" are handpicked to contest elections on the merit of loyalty to headquarters. They turn into drones and lobby fodder and never assert individual conscience in the face of injustice and bad planning and bad taste. Local authorities and the Dail are turned into rubber stamps for decisions made outside the debating chambers. No wonder the electorate gets itchy fingers and elects bundles of fringe party and independent candidates sometimes.

I live outside Burke's constituency, so haven't had the chance to consider him or the various other candidates in the Dublin central area.

by PAUL OMEARA Sat Jun 13, 2009 09:18

HE WAS UPFRONT THAT HE WANTED THE FREEDOM TO VOTE WHATEVER WAY HE WANTED TO. He wants to support things like the redevelopment of Moore St without having to consult with the party. He couldn't find very many ppl from Dublin Sin Fein to help in the bye election campaign and he was very angry about that.

by duff Sat Jun 13, 2009 01:11

said on the joe duffy show that he wanted the freedom to vote for things like the estimates. the day the story broke. that was monday or tuesday. so if RTE achieve liveline then it would be there

by Ken Lee Fri Jun 12, 2009 20:31

Has anyone heard or seen a denial or otherwise by Christy Burke regarding claims in some media that he resigned because of SF refusal to support council estimates?

by Ger Thu Jun 11, 2009 20:56

Fair play Christy after all the years of being stabbed in the back by Dublin Sinn Fein (one of who lost their council seat ) you have finally gone independent.

by sean Thu Jun 11, 2009 01:27

emotionalism. bitchyness behaveing like old women. the amount of shit i've head or read on this between today and yesterday in pathetic. no fear of republicanism appearing to be to macho watching all this. christy was a great worker and will go on to be a great worker in the future good for him. the way he left is disapointing and thats it.

by t g machamhloaibh Wed Jun 10, 2009 22:13

Good Luck to Mr. Burke. Maybe he'd already signified to SF (a party I support) that he'd be leaving before the election if things didn't pan out his way. Who knows? I don't, and I don't particularly care. Politics is a strange creature at all times

What I'm just about feed up with is the so-called Irish socialists who, on a pretty poor election performance bar Higgins's election (well done and giv'em hell), will fall over themselves to critisize another socialist or socialist party at every turn. Quite often finding the slightest of pretences and some obscure point to validate their ever repetitive attacks on each other.

Barring Irish Labour, who've imo jettisoned every socialist principle but probably en masse still retain a social conscience, I don't need any fingers to count the number of socialist governments Ireland has elected since the creation of an independent Irish state. Zero.

The Irish Socialist Party has made some gains, especially in hard hit urban areas, and fair dues to them and much more success in the future. However, I fail to see how their actual policies differ from policies that people have rejected in many countries. I've read their site (very well presented site) and listened to Higgins and his policy solutions. There is no doubt about his sincerity and vision. It's just that his policies have failed in the past and his vision won't play with a basically conservative Irish nation. But hell, I'd support him and his party any day before the cabal that are going to be running the country for the next ten years.

Buckle up. The poor, the discouraged, and those with very limited options and opportunities will bear the brunt of FG (or whoever) as they get their hands on the reigns of power. The disadvantaged will be potrayed as the problem while the banksters and their govt buddies, who've consciously created our problems in the name of a quick profit, will continue to enjoy some of the highest salaries in the world.

As for SF. The last GE was a wake up call. This election signals a fundamental crisis. They either heed the warnings and come up with economic solutions to our problems or they will disappear. When a company is failing, it is management that must always take the blame. What's a pity is that there is some real economic talent in the organisation with imaginative thinking. SF can't blame the MSM for the blackout on SF. Higgins got his points across despite the MSM.

At this junction, all I can say that it sucks being a socialist in Ireland. I wonder if it is like this in every country these days?

by Con Carroll Wed Jun 10, 2009 18:25

I have known Christy for many years. Christy should have seen this coming. and learned from the last tactics of SF. during the last general elections. not forgetting Nicky keogh. Christy should hold on to his seat. not to be bullied by the new SF from Castleknock. if it is true that Tony Gregory, encouraged him to go independent he should have done so.
I am glad that I worked on the Joe Higgins campaign which saw people electing him to European Parliament.

by Oldtimer - None Wed Jun 10, 2009 13:22

Calm down and get over it........

Sean are you for real.We are talking here about a man who has developed a wide sea of support and respect that goes far beyond the North Inner City of Dublin.

For 40 years he has worked on behalf of Sinn Fein and his constituents to the detrement of his personnel life and time.He has earned that support and respect.

The miserable support he was shown by his party during his campaign is not palletable.Where it not for the support of his family and friends from the community and community groups that he served so well he would not have been able to retain his long held council seat.The retention of this seat was a personnel effort like much of his time battling within the chambers.

The seat is Councillor Christy Burkes,long may it stay like that....

by Paddy Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:07

So it's all down to 'emotionalism,' is it Sean?

Must say I've never come across that word before. Funny how sometimes we think that we can make ourselves sound a bit more intelligent by adding an 'ism' at the end of word.

Christy Burke was a tireless servant of working class people in Dublin long before SF's recent intakes of juvenile middle class youngsters from the south discovered the lures of half-baked marxist posing. He deserves to be recognised for his contribution, not explained away. People have every right to be angry.

by sean Wed Jun 10, 2009 02:57

think people need to calm down. christy didn't say anything about being asked to step down in six months on liveline or the herald interview.

SF are going to have a bad taste in there mouth 3 days after an election but still. it's done get over it. after 40 years in an organisation your going to get into disagreements and thats going to rise to the surface at a time like this but thats emotionalism, better letting it go. good luck to christy all the best.

by Oldtimer - Def not SF anymore Tue Jun 09, 2009 21:42

Christy Burke SF was a stalwart of the Republican Movement as well as a respected representative of the North Inner City community.

For years he defended both his community against the scourge of drugs and his parties National issue against attack.

In doing this he gained respect from both his local community and the broader political community.

A respect it would seem has been lost by representatives of his party of many years,Sinn Fein.

Shame on Sinn Feins Chair for publicly calling on our Christy to "surrender" his seat to Sinn Fein.

This call will not go unanswered,i for one will never vote Sinn Fein again...............