People Before Profit

PBP contested several constituencies in the 2007 general election, polling around 9,000 first preferences, with Richard Boyd Barrett—the candidate in the Dún Laoghaire constituency—missing a seat on the 10th and final count by 7,890 votes to 9,910.[12][13]

In May 2008, PBP launched a campaign calling for a No vote on the Lisbon Treaty when it was put to the people.[14]

In the Republic's 2009 local elections PBP ran twelve candidates, including ten in County Dublin. It secured five seats in three of Dublin's four councils. As well as ten members of the SWP, Joan Collins and Pat Dunne of the CWAG ran in Dublin,[15] and Donnie Fell (a former Waterford Crystal worker and trade union representative) in Waterford.[16]

In the Republic's 2011 general election, both Richard Boyd Barrett and Joan Collins were elected to Dáil Éireann as TDs (deputies), running under a joint People Before Profit and United Left Alliance banner.

In April 2013, Joan Collins TD and Cllr Pat Dunne left the group to form United Left, a political party with former Socialist Party TD Clare Daly.

In the May 2014 local elections, PBP won 14 seats including two seats outside Dublin on Sligo and Wexford County Councils.

Discussions were held in August 2015 with the Anti-Austerity Alliance about forming a new political grouping.[17] On 17 September 2015, the two parties announced they had formally registered as a single political party for electoral purposes.[18] The new organisation was called the Anti-Austerity Alliance–People Before Profit.

At the 2016 general election, Boyd Barrett was re-elected.[19] He was joined by fellow PBP candidates Gino Kenny and Bríd Smith.[20][21]

In 2016, Councillor Sonya Stapleton, representing Pembroke–South Dock on Dublin City Council, left the party, as did Councillor Ruth Nolan, a member of South Dublin County Council for Lucan, who joined Independents 4 Change.

In January 2019, Dublin City Councillor John Lyons resigned from the party due to disputes with the leadership.[22] Cllr Lyons subsequently was a leading figure in the foundation of Independent Left.[23] He criticised his former party saying:[24] "Solidarity and People Before Profit are the closest fit to us but have a hierarchical, carefully controlled internal life that is not fit for the purpose of socialist change."

People Before Profit unsuccessfully ran one candidate, Sean Mitchell, in the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election, polling 774 first preferences in the Belfast West constituency. He successfully gained the right to stand in an election by threatening to take the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, to court if the legal loophole preventing him from doing so was enforced. (England, Scotland and Wales had secured the right to contest candidates under the age of 20, providing they were over 18, for constituencies for devolved government, whereas Northern Ireland had been simply excluded).

People Before Profit ran four candidates in the Northern Ireland Assembly election of May 2011, winning 5,438 first-preference votes between them but no seats in the new Assembly. Its most successful candidate in this election was Eamonn McCann, who won 3,120 first-preference votes, or 8% of the total, in Foyle.

In the June 2011 Belfast West by-election, Gerry Carroll won 1,751 votes (7.6%), coming in third place and ahead of both unionist candidates.

In the 2014 Belfast City Council election, Carroll became the first PBP councilor elected in Northern Ireland, winning 3rd place in the Black Mountain DEA, with 1,691 1st Preference votes.

In May 2016, Carroll topped the poll in the Belfast West constituency at the 2016 Assembly Election with 8,299 votes (22.9%), almost 4,000 first-preference votes clear of his nearest challenger, Sinn Féin MLA Fra McCann (Sinn Féin was running five candidates).[25] This victory secured PBP with their first elected MLA. Eamonn McCann also took a seat in the constituency of Foyle.[26] In 2017, Carroll retained his seat but with a much reduced vote (12.2%),[27] while McCann lost his.[28]

In the Northern Ireland Assembly, the party designates as neither unionist nor Irish nationalist, but 'Other'.[29]

People Before Profit supported leaving the EU[30] but did not campaign for a Leave vote in the 2016 EU referendum.[30] People Before Profit's support for Brexit attracted criticism from Sinn Féin and pro-remain activists, especially as Northern Ireland voted to remain. This was a factor in the loss of McCann's seat in Foyle.[31]

The party gained 4 seats in the 2019 Local Elections. People Before Profit won 5 council seats, 3 in Belfast City Council and 2 in Derry.[32] It has the second lowest number of seats, just ahead of the PUP.

The party stood two candidates in the 2019 general election, with their best performance being by Carroll in the Belfast West seat: he came second with 16%.

People Before Profit have only contested European Elections in the Republic of Ireland.