Crossing the Rubicon – Sinn Fein becomes Fianna Fail mark II

The following article was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland). It reports on the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in October CROSSING THE RUBICON With vote on non-jury courts, Sinn Féin finally morphs into Fianna Fail mark II Leader Mary Lou McDonald at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis at the Helix in Dublin. Resolution number 21…

Dublin bus workers reject union backed deal on pay and conditions

This article first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) outlines the growing tensions between rank and file workers and union bureaucrats in the Dublin bus workers dispute accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic. DUBLIN BUS WORKERS REJECT UNION BACKED DEAL ON PAY AND CONDITIONS Union leaders’ plan puts all workers inside the privatisation rules It barely more…

Tory recklessness, unionist bigotry edge Good Friday Agreement towards collapse

Thus article first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland) highlights the renewed alliance between the Tory government and the DUP in their attempts to cement the their authoritarian populist and reactionary unionist project in the aftermath of Brexit.   TORY RECKLESSNESS, UNIONIST BIGOTRY EDGE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT TOWARDS COLLAPSE Those seeking to understand why DUP leader…

British government threatens to renege on N.I. Protocol

The following article from Socialist Democracy (Ireland) highlights the political forces behind the current dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol   BRITISH GOVERNMENT THREATENS TO RENEGE ON N.I. PROTOCOL The British government has set out its proposals for the “reform” of the NI Protocol which regulates trade between GB, Northern Ireland and the EU.   Under…

Twelfth festival of hate – the state moves to support loyalism

The following article was in the annual 12th July bonfires in Belfast was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland)   TWELFTH FESTIVAL OF HATE – THE STATE MOVES TO SUPPORT LOYALISM     Events have moved on from this year’s Twelfth parades, with general relief at the absence of widespread violence. However a sense of…

Dublin – No church involvement in the National Maternity Hospital

    The following article based on an interview with Anne Conway, founder member of the Campaign against Church Ownership of Women’s Healthcare, was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland)   DUBLIN – NO CHURCH INVOLVEMENT IN THE NATIONAL MATERNITY HOSPITAL Anne Conway a founding member of the Campaign against Church Ownership of Women’s Healthcare…

Rayner O’Connor Lysaght Presente!

Rayner O’Connor Lysaght, born in 1941, passed away on 2nd July, little more than a year after his comrade Kevin Keating, both members of Socialist Democracy (Ireland). Before meeting Rayner I had read some of his earlier books, being particularly impressed by his writing on the 1919 Limerick Soviet. Deidre McCartan, who was a former…

Isolation at G7, chaos in Ireland sees British retreat on Brexit border

The following article from Socialist Democracy (Ireland) updates the current situation the UK and Irish states face over the Brexit Border.   ISOLATION AT G7, CHAOS IN IRELAND SEES BRITISH RETREAT ON BREXIT BORDER In the run-up to the meeting of the G7 committee Boris Johnson and his negotiator Lord Frost uttered bloodcurdling threats about…

Belfast Hovis Strike

This article was first posted by Socialist Democracy (Ireland)and outlines the struggle between the Belfast Hovis workers fighting for pay parity with fellow workers in the rest of the UK, and the limitations imposed on their struggle by the relationship between the UK state and Northern Ireland and its acceptance by the trade union bureaucracy.…

Palestine – the view from Edinburgh and Belfast

The Scottish government is a signatory to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition on ‘anti-semitism’. This definition conflates criticism of Israel with criticism of Jews. In view of the horrific attacks by Zionist settler thugs and the of the Israeli state on Palestinians in East Jerusalem and Gaza in order to to ethnically cleanse even more…