Workers’ Party to run on a platform of opposing elite attacks on public services and workers’ rights, and radical action against war and climate change   

Euro Parliament backing for Trump’s Venezuela ‘coup’ shows need for more anti-war MEPs 

Cllr Éilis Ryan this morning (Wednesday) launched her Dublin MEP bid on behalf of the Workers’ Party, at a launch which was addressed by Clare Daly (Independent Socialist TD) and prominent anti-war campaigner Edward Horgan. 

Addressing the launch of her campaign at an event in Buswells Hotel in Dublin, Cllr Ryan said: 

“Ten years ago, this month, 120,000 people marched against austerity in Dublin. Four parties have governed since, but little has improved for working people. Through its consistent prioritisation of corporations and profit over workers, the environment or peace, the European Union played a driving role in producing the policies which have created the ongoing crisis in standard of living, housing and access to services that many working people are experiencing. 

“I am running for Europe this May because I believe the EU is creating a dangerous future. With the far right on the rise across Europe, and the gap between rich and poor ever widening, Dublin cannot simply afford to elect more of the same.” 

Cllr Ryan highlighted two focus areas: 

“A recent vote by the European Parliament to support a coup against the President of Venezuela has positioned the EU as the sidekick of Donald Trump. This is a dangerous path towards a growing US/EU war machine, one which I intend to resist fully. 

“Secondly, as more people begin to recognise the failures of privatisation of our social housing, bin services and transport services, it is critical that our MEPs resist all attempts to guarantee private profiteers even more of a role in delivering basic services. I will campaign to reverse all directives which push public services into the private market.”    

Clare Daly TD, who spoke at Ryan’s launch, said: 

“Éilis has built up a strong record both as an activist and campaigner, and as an elected representative. On Dublin City Council, she has shown a consistent ability to expose the corporate agenda which has worsened the city’s housing crisis and has put forward concrete but radical alternatives in terms of public housing. In last May’s Eighth Amendment referendum, she led an impressive grassroots campaign in Dublin Central. I have been particularly impressed by her work in opposing war and militarism, at a time when our Fine Gael government seem increasingly keen to dispose of Ireland’s neutrality.” 

Peace activist Edward Horgan said: 

“Iknow Éilis Ryan as a dedicated sincere politician who knows that it is in the interests of all Irish people to maintain Irish neutrality and she will pursue this objective in the European Parliament when she is elected, as well of course pursuing also her committed socialist policies.

“And of course, it is also very much in the interests of humanity as a whole that we in Ireland should oppose the militarisation of Europe and end the disastrous wars.”

Notes

Policy priorities for the Workers’ Party Dublin European campaign will include: 

Jobs and Workers’ Rights

  • A radical workers’ charter to include the right to collective bargaining for all workers
  • Implementation of long-promised measures to stop the race to the bottom on European workers’ wages  
  • Radical measures to drive corporate lobbyists out of Brussels

     

    Housing & Public Services: For the right of every country to protect and build public services and housing.
  • Oppose new directives which make it more difficult to take public services back into public ownership.
  • Remove capital spending from EU deficit rules, to enable investment in public housing and other capital projects.
  • Introduce pan-European procurement of drugs to stop the big pharmaceutical racket. Europe would become the biggest buyer in the world, guaranteeing price decreases.
  • A Robin Hood Tax for children’s rights: tax financial transactions and ringfence proceeds to invest in public childcare and early childhood education across Europe.  

A Safe Planet: An end to the corporate greed that is driving war & climate change. 

  • Complete opposition to PESCO & the militarisation of Europe. 
  • The introduction of mandatory, Europe-wide regulations to outlaw the use of non-recyclable packaging materials and ‘planned obsolesce’ in technology.
  • A “Green Quantitative Easing” programme for Europe: a Europe-wide investment drive in Green technologies and industrial transition, funded by ECB lending and focused on public and cooperative industry.