Solidarity (Ireland)

Solidarity
Dlúthphartíocht[1]
Leader Collective leadership
TDs Mick Barry
Ruth Coppinger
Paul Murphy
Founded 2014 (2014)
Ideology Socialism
Eco-socialism
Left-wing populism
Feminism
Political position Left-wing
National affiliation Solidarity–People Before Profit
Dáil Éireann
3 / 158
Local government in the Republic of Ireland
11 / 949
Website
solidarity.ie

Solidarity, formerly known as the Anti-Austerity Alliance[2] (AAA), is a socialist political party in Ireland, launched in 2014.[3][4] It has been registered as a political party to contest local elections,[5] and ran at least forty candidates in the 2014 Irish local elections.[6]

Views

The party intends to end "Ireland’s status as a tax haven", introduce a Financial transactions tax, abolish property tax. increase corporation tax, increase income tax on high earners, introduce a ‘Millionaire’s Tax’ on net personal wealth in excess of €1 million.[7]

2014–17

The party contested the 2014 local elections on a platform of job creation. On 8 April 2014, it launched a plan to create 150,000 jobs across Ireland by replacing the controversial JobBridge and Gateway initiatives with a "real jobs programme of public works, free education and genuine training schemes".[8]

Paul Murphy was elected to Dáil Éireann for Dublin South-West under the Anti-Austerity Alliance banner at a by-election in October 2014. Ruth Coppinger was elected for Dublin West as a TD at the Dublin West by-election, 2014. Both were re-elected at the Irish general election, 2016. Coppinger became the first woman to be nominated for the role of Taoiseach.

Mick Barry was elected as TD for the Cork North–Central constituency in 2016. According to the Irish Examiner, Barry has been "a leading figure in the Cork and national campaigns" against household and water charges.

On 7 August 2015, the party was removed from the Register of Political Parties.[9] It held discussions in August 2015 with the People Before Profit about forming a new political grouping.[10] On 17 September 2015, the two parties announced that they had formally registered as a single political party for electoral purposes.[11] The new organisation was called Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit.

Relaunch as Solidarity

On 10 March 2017, the Anti-Austerity Alliance called a press conference and announced that it would now be relaunced as Solidarity. This name change was made to reflect the "many movements emerging on workplace, economic and social issues" and that while "the AAA has played a key role in campaigns like the water charges and housing", that the organisation under the name of Solidarity "will continue to do so, but the name will now better reflect our campaigning work on Repeal, LGBTQ issues and equality generally."[12]

The Dáil grouping, Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit, was renamed to Solidarity–People Before Profit.

Criticism

The party includes all of the Socialist Party's sitting councillors, which has led to criticism that Solidarity is a front organisation for the Trotskyist Socialist Party.[13]

Election results

Dáil Éireann elections

Election Dáil First Preference Vote Vote % Seats Government
2016 32nd AAA–PBP
3 / 158
 Fine Gael–Independents minority

Local Government elections

Election First Preference Vote Vote % Seats
2014 21,097 1.2%
14 / 949

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/parliamentaryBusiness/orderPaper/dail/2018/2018-06-19_dail-order-paper-tues_en.pdf
  2. ↑ "AAA to rebrand as Solidarity". Businesspost.ie.
  3. ↑ "Anti-Austerity Alliance launches election campaign". RTÉ News. 20 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "'We are the Triple A': New party says it will target Labour in local elections". The Journal. 20 February 2014.
  5. ↑ Iris Oifigiúil, 14 February 2014
  6. ↑ "Anti-Austerity Alliance launches as new party". 20 February 2014.
  7. ↑ https://www.solidarity.ie/socialist
  8. ↑ "Anti Austerity Alliance seeks 'real jobs' action for Limerick". 10 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Iris Oifigiúil" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Could we be about to get another new political group?". TheJournal.ie. 8 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Anti Austerity Alliance and People before Profit to launch new party". The Irish Times. 17 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "Anti-Austerity Alliance rebrands as Solidarity". RTÉ. 10 March 2017.
  13. ↑ "Column: Is the Socialist Party cloaking itself as 'Anti-Austerity Alliance'?". 22 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
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