‘People Before Profit are coming for your vote’ by Seamas Óg

On the centenary of the execution of the socialist leader James Connolly, People Before Profit held a rally with Gerry Carroll MLA, Fiona Ferguson, Bernadette McAliskey and Brid Smith TD. Given the recent comments by certain political parties and the media I was near expecting to be handed a weapon to start a revolution or to be given a lovely badge saying ‘Sssshhh … dissident on the QT’. However I was to be disappointed, surely the politicians and media wouldn’t deliberately misinform us, would they?

Instead I heard four articulate speakers outlining their party’s perspective on politics and the potential to challenge the established status quo. The need to move beyond the failed sectarian politics of the North and to challenge the corrupt economic system in Ireland which has influenced two political institutions to implement policies to support big business at the expense of well, pretty much everyone. Gerry Carroll MLA said it perfectly: Stormont can borrow 700 million to make people redundant and cut corruption tax to reward big international businesses but can’t find the money to tackle poverty. It’s funny but he said he and Eamonn McCann MLA had designated themselves as socialists, but surely here you have to be one side or the other? Are these people really going to start ignoring the way the Folks on the Hill have said things work? No more ties either, tut tut. His message was clear: this party aims to work for everyone, with a message for the DUP: ‘We’re coming for your voters as well’.

“My name is Fiona Ferguson, and I’m here to recruit you.” ‘Well’ I thought ‘convince me’. Listening to her speak of promoting a socialist view, that the wealth of our society does not need to restricted to an elite few at the expense of everyone else, the wee voice in my head said ‘1,300 votes this election, if she gets that in the next council elections, she’d make the council properly debate poverty causing food bank usage’. Brid Smith TD spoke with passion and conviction about water charges in the South and the need to promote social unity amongst people, that standing together as in the past people can achieve great things.

Bernadette McAliskey spoke of the need to move on from the sectarian politics of the past that has divided working people who face the same social and economic hardship. She also pointed out that it is time to address the lies of the peace process, that things are better and moving forward. That people need to challenge the false idea that it’s better to let the old political parties manage our historical conflict and their respective communities, instead of tearing down the systems and structures that keep sectarianism alive.

Towards the end of the talk I began to question the whole thing: this was not what the media and other political parties said it would be like. Indeed over the course of the talk, whilst reference was given to other political parties, not once did I hear them directly attack or smear others in the North like they have been. It was also interesting to hear each speaker refer to James Connolly and the socialist ideals he proposed for Ireland. They appeared passionate to achieve them yet not once did they claim ownership to his memory, his ideals or pronounce this party as directly linked to Connolly or the inheritors of his legacy. A very interesting approach in comparison to other political parties in this country determined to hijack the memory and ownership of historical figures to legitimise their actions. Indeed the talk throughout concerned creating a better equally just society for all no matter where they came from. To challenge the established political and economic elite to better protect the rights of people against the system of capitalist greed. It will be interesting to see how they progress over the next few years as a viable socialist alternative. After listening to them I can’t help but think this is a party not going anywhere. They have a determination and conviction in the fact that people power can not only fight the status quo but overcome it.

After it ended I talked to a learned friend about the state of politics here and what we had heard. He asked a number of very relevant questions. Are we all political sleep walkers? Do we want change? Do we expect the establishment parties to deliver? As I contemplated these questions I thought back to the introduction ‘My name is Fiona Ferguson, and I’m here to recruit you’. After hearing them talk, the wee voice in my head with its Belfast accent and non PC thought-train, said ‘Natta bother love, you’ve convinced me, where do I sign up.’

It was interesting to hear the attitude and attacks of others was met merely by reminding us of the quote by Mahatma Gandhi. “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”. One hundred years after the death of Connolly arguably the left in Ireland has new life.