Tag Archives: Social Democrats

fresh_faces

Stephen Donnelly TD, Niall O’Tuathail, Róisín Shortall TD, Sarah Jane Hennelly, James Heffernan, Catherine Murphy TD, Gary Gannon and Anne-Marie McNally, of the Social Democrats

Via the soc dems:

The Social Democrats are hosting a policy event at the Hilton Hotel, Charlemount Place, Dublin 2 tonight, during which those attending will be organised into roundtable discussions on six policy areas – Political Reform and Open Government; The Future of Primary Education; Towards a Sustainable Housing Model; Supporting Indigenous Industry; Budget 2016- Investing for the Future; Building a Community-Based Health Service.

The event will begin with a welcome address from Catherine Murphy TD, followed by a keynote address from Fintan O’Toole. The event, which had places for a maximum of 180 people, is now oversubscribed with a waiting list system now in operation. Those who wish to attend can contact the party and if someone decides that they can’t attend, their place will be given to the next person on the waiting list.

Registration begins at 6.30pm with the event itself commencing at 7pm.

UPDATE: Event now closed. Elitists!

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From Left Roisin Shorthall, Catherine Murphy and Stephen Donnelly at the Social Democrats launch yesterday

The Social Democrats.

A short-lived home for popular if routinely disaffected TDs?

Dan Boyle writes:

And so we have a new political party. Formed by three of the more able members of the current Dáil it has a chance of being something different.

Against that it is starting life in much the same way as most political parties in Ireland have been established, being part of the system it wants to change.

Since the foundation of the State only Clann na Talmhan, Clann na Poblachta and The Green Party can be said to have become involved in the political system having been formed from outside of it.

Most ‘new’ political parties have been breakaways from traditional parties. Some have have been new alignments. Some of the more committed independents become frustrated at the limits an individual can do before seeking out other like minded people.

Some of the more iconoclastic members of the Dáil have flitted between both. James Dillon was elected first for the short lived National Centre Party, a brief tying together of the remnants of the old Farmers Party and the National League (itself the dying embers of the Irish Parliamentary Party that last represented Irish interests in Westminster).

The Centre Party became one of the founding components of Fine Gael, from whom Dillon would resign over the question of Irish neutrality during the Second World War. He was still independent in 1948 when he persuaded other independents to support him for cabinet membership.

With the Independent Alliance now, maybe more properly called The Committee To Make Shane Ross A Cabinet Minister, Deputy Ross is hoping that history can repeat itself. The Independent grouping in 1948 as with its Alliance counterpart now, was a fairly motley grouping.

Among Dillon’s supporters then was Oliver J. Flanagan, who while nominally an independent claimed to represent a national movement known as ‘Monetary Reform’. It seems we treated currency issues more seriously then.

The much admired Noel Browne hardly showed himself to be a model of consistency. Elected first as a Clann na Poblachta Minister he was then elected an independent TD, then as a Fianna Fáil TD. When elected again as an independent TD he formed with Jack McQuillan the National Progressive Democrats (not to be confused with).

While effective in opposition no real effort was made to build a party. One by-election was contested but only three candidates contested the 1961 election for the party. Browne and McQuillan were reelected of course, but both were soon to join the Labour Party. This was another party Browne was eventually to leave. There was one more flag for Noel Browne to wave that of the Socialist Labour Party in 1981. Of course this too would end in tears.

In positioning themselves between Labour and Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats could attract disappointed Labour votes on one side and from those who see Sinn Féin as an imperfect protest vehicle on the other. In this they seem better positioned than Renua whose placing of itself between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael doesn’t seem likely to have many spare votes available to it.

Either newly formed party should look at the template established 30 years ago with the foundation of the Progressive Democrats. It was formed by three breakaway Fianna Fáil TDs, two of whom, [Desmond] O’Malley and [Mary] Harney, could be said to be creatures of privilege. O’Malley had inherited his uncle’s seat. Harney was appointed to the Seanad directly upon finishing her university degree.

The third TD, a now almost forgotten man was perhaps the strongest reason the PDs achieved initial success. Pearse Wyse, no ideologue, he, knew the importance of winning and holding onto a vote.

Our political careers briefly crossed over. I remember being regaled at a doorstep by a supporter of his, who let me know that as a Corporation tenant, Pearse had secured not only one but two toilet seats for her. The second of which was being recycled as a picture frame.

What the moral of this pithy history is meant to be is that those led only by high minded political principles cannot of themselves bring about change. Not without the support of agnostic grafters. These are the people who are needed to sustain any new political movement.

Dan Boyle is a former Green Party Senator.

Yesterday: What We Stand For

(RollingNews.ie)

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Social Democrats, from left: Stephen Donnelly Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shorthall this morning at Wood Quay Venue, Civic Offices, Wood Quay,

This morning.

The three founders of Social Democrats shared their plans and ambitions for the new party.

Some highlights:

We have to move towards a much more open approach to decision making.  In that context we favour the abolition of the Official Secrets Act and its replacement with a modern approach underpinned by a general presumption that, wherever possible, openness is the key to good governance.

We need to make the Cabinet accountable to the Dail and we need to make the Dail relevant to people again.

People are paying attention to the detail of politics in a way I have never seen before we can no longer tolerate a situation where Ministers avoid answering questions or rely on spin to confuse people.

If we truly believe in democracy we have to allow our democratic systems  to evolve with us, to ensure the institutions that make up a healthy democracy are valued and prioritised. The establishment of an Electoral Commission, with very wide remit is a must. Not only can it be a powerful watchdog on politics; it can act as an agent for the ongoing renewal that is needed.

Our legal and political systems are supposed to be separate.  If we truly have a separation of powers we must end the political appointment of judges.

Catherine Murphy TD

Lots can be done in the short term. Things like resolving the mortgage crisis. Better supporting Irish businesses. And providing high quality and affordable childcare.  And while we’re doing these things, we need to start working on the longer term. We need coherent planning – in areas like healthcare, infrastructure, housing and pensions. We need a modern approach to implementation – starting with clear objectives, tracking progress, improving, and refining what we do.
And we need to start asking big, ambitious questions. How do we get a top 5 education system in the next 10 years? How do we replicate the foreign direct investment success for Irish businesses? How do we create a modern, community-based healthcare system? How do we ensure everyone has sufficient income in retirement? How do we increase living standards and our global competitiveness at the same time?

Stephen Donnelly TD

We came to the conclusion that we shared a lot of the same goals – Progress, Equality, Democracy, Sustainability and a commitment to the Nordic model of social democracy. We worked well together and decided to set about starting this new political party.
Political reform must be underpinned by a strong commitment to Social Justice and Equality. We know, for example, that the first 5 years in a child’s life are the most important, yet these years receive the least political attention and the least investment.

A major priority for the Social Democrats will be to ensure that every child gets the best possible start in life. We also commit to breaking the cycle of deprivation where one in eight children in our country lives in poverty.

Dealing with disadvantage will ensure the right of every child to reach their potential and that, of course, also benefits society as a whole. We want to promote an enterprise culture that encourages innovation and commercial success.  A strong SME sector offers the best prospect of long-term sustainable jobs.

And we want to ensure decent standards of employment so that what happened to workers in Clerys and in Dunnes’ Stores, and indeed, what happened to pensioners in Aer Lingus and Waterford Crystal, cannot happen again.

Roisin Shorthall TD

FIGHT!

Earlier: ‘We Are The @SocDems’


(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

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Catherine Murphy tweets ahead of the launch of the new party, Social Democrats, this morning which involves Ms Murphy, Roisin Shorthall and Stephen Donnelly.

More as we get it.

Previously: ‘A New Credible Political Choice’

Pics: Gavin O’Reilly

Update:

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Roisin Shorthall, Catherine Murphy and Stephen Donnelly launch the new par-tay.

Social Democrats

Thanks Ross O’Mullane and David Hall