‘People Before Profit: The Rotten Borough Unmasked Again’ by Donal Lavery

I’ve nothing against students or radicals who want a different way of doing politics and ultimately a better world. In fact, on many things we are singing from the same hymn sheet. But something struck me recently as really rather peculiar – After writing substantively about the jackboot antics of GARC at Ardoyne’s contentious strip, I came under the sharp criticism of “activists” (and I use that term loosely) from People Before Profit. Now at first I found it a bit surreal – a supposed Trotskyist, “non-sectarian”, student led organisation rushing to the defence of a “blood nationalist”, virulently intolerant, quasi-fascist group like GARC; who disgustingly harangued a respected local cleric then toasted vodka shots to it in the Shamrock club after (as photographed and reported by the Sunday Life). Ideologically, it’s a marriage bequeathed in political hell. Or simply “dancing with the Devil by the pale moonlight”, as the Joker opined. And there’s a few Jokers among their ranks alright! To non-political animals unlike myself, it’s best summarised by the age old saying that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend!”

One of their activists mentioned, in particular, that my writings focus on ridiculing anyone who is “anti-status quo”. I could write a book about this assertion but I’ll try to be as abstract and clear as possible. This is coming from “activists” in a party (People Before Profit), which is never done telling us that it is neither nationalist nor unionist, and therefore has no real position when it comes to the North. This is coming from a party which is encouraging you to accept a fake dichotomy in assuming that the Irish people as a whole, North and South, are not a sovereign nation, but rather “Northern Ireland” in their minds is a supposed independent state which has powers of self-government (like a currency to devalue) and the ability to legislate for their brand of Trotskyite socialism if it so chooses. This is coming from a party which is trying badly to distract from the fact that economically you CANNOT have socialism on this island while there exists two states competing against each other for investment from big business.

Let me explain what I mean, so it can’t be twisted. The Irish people voted, in overwhelming numbers for independence in 1918. Faced with the election result, Edward Carson continued to illegally arm his followers, with guns, bombs and grenades. The British Government had issued arrest warrants for the sedition committed by the Unionist leaders, especially in war time, but when the British forces stationed in Ireland protested about having to facilitate this, the Westminster Government backed down and capitulated to the will of the Loyalist mob. Lloyd George, Churchill and the “Tory intrigues” decided that they would partition the country along religious and political lines. There were a number of key motivations behind this – dividing the Irish people made it easier for Britain to rule them; Unionist politicians propped up successive Tory administrations; But most importantly, partition meant Britain could keep check on Irish affairs and operate a policy of “containment” (especially through her agents) to prevent any prospect of socialism happening on their doorstep (which would give the British working class ideas).

So British policy in Ireland following partition has been akin to American policy in Vietnam, Korea and elsewhere, whereby they will invade and occupy a section of a country and turn people against one another (in economic or religious  competition particularly) to inhibit the prospect of a single united country utilising all its resources and opting for a radically different economic model. Pakistan was once a part of India, until Britain did the same thing there. Hong Kong was once a part of China until similar things happened there.

Now I’m not saying I’m against a socialist society emerging in Ireland at all, but what I am outlining as fact is that it can only happen in a united Ireland, independent of British economic & monetary policy. That’s not my view, it’s reality. What we have to spend is decided by people we do not elect and cannot remove, in Westminster. So the sensible solution is to move to set of circumstances where we can remove the people who govern over our lives by the ballot box, purchasing with our votes that which our wallets and purses deny us. An Ireland where socialism on the ballot paper is actually possible and can be facilitated.

So this falsehood which People Before Profit are peddling is utter nonsense. And I’ve been around long enough to sense when someone knows what they are implying but isn’t being open and transparent about what they actually know deep down. Given that analysis, it’s not unfair to say that People Before Profit are indeed a de-facto Unionist party. Why so? Because they accept the status quo that is “Northern Ireland”, and want to make you think that this failed, former-Orange state can become some sort of ‘cold water Cuba’ under their leadership and within the capitalist confines of the United Kingdom; which is quite frankly absurd. Why would a Westminster Government pay for Trotskyite socialism in “Northern Ireland” while implementing a bedroom tax on working class people in Britain, just because People Before Profit demand it?!

Myself, Jude Collins and other writers/commentators have repeatedly put this point to People Before Profit and repeatedly they have glossed over it. Gerry Carroll deleted me from Facebook to prevent me from asking it further in the public domain. Dodging the elephant in the room. But don’t take my word for it – If you read the writings of Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone, George Galloway, Harold Wilson, James Connolly, Chris Mullin, Jeremy Corbyn and many other prominent people on the Left in Britain and Ireland, you will discover in their independent analyses of British policy in Ireland exactly what I’ve just said – that Northern Ireland exists to try to prevent socialism on the island. Why? Because it would otherwise be a beacon of equality that would motivate the British masses to overthrow an old order and form anew. So why do we have a peace process and power-sharing for then? Because Britain is trying to slow down the inevitable – an independent self governing nation with the freedom to live under whatever economic model it chooses as a proud and sovereign Republic at peace with itself.

But back to the genesis of this article – a People Before Profit surrogate jumping to the defence of Dee Fennell and GARC. A man who has emerged as the real leader of dissident fringe elements (who dare not challenge him publicly but can’t stand his conduct privately) in Ardoyne; A man who is trying to make a career out of stirring up divisions within local communities in North Belfast. Now I’ve been called many colourful things by GARC members, with the most sickening personal abuse being thrown at anyone who speaks out against their tactics/rhetoric. And I mean sickening is an understatement. But for well-educated, rather better informed student radicals to align themselves with or defend the ultra-green, “blood nationalists” of Dissident extremism and Saoradh (who are clearly authoritarians); does that not seem a bit out of place? A bit of a proverbial (and I’m laughing as I write) ‘pig in a poke’? (LOL).

If anyone wants to know where People Before Profit was spawned, they need only read up on the failure of the Official IRA (“The Lost Revolution” book perhaps?) and their failure to achieve any meaningful concessions or change from the British Government. Rancid “Sticks”, who abandoned everything and accepted the legitimacy of the Orange State (collaborating with the RUC against republicans) and leaving Nationalist communities to fend for themselves against the Loyalist militias and state death squads. People Before Profit are the recycled bones of the Worker’s Party’s failed past, and it’s completely and utterly contemptible what they would misguide you into believing. But even worse, it’s farcical who they are prepared to opportunistically align themselves with for the sake of votes.

Instead of encouraging Dissident thugs (who’s anti-Sinn Fein votes he so desires) to damage the environment and waste public resources on unwanted bonfires, perhaps Eamon McCann should best divert his scrupulous attention to addressing the rotten borough of policy anomalies that he leads. Or maybe even exercise that age old wisdom that “no company is better than bad company!”