News & Analysis
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Begg’s support for Property Tax makes mockery of ICTU’s alleged opposition to austerity
On RTE radio's This Week Programme today the general secretary of ICTU David Begg voiced support for the property tax about to be levied on homeowners. The property tax will be the biggest austerity measure of all and if fully implemented along with water charges will see bills approaching €1,000 in a few short years.
Joe Higgins condemns chaotic and grotesque rush of IBRC Bill
Next Saturday's ICTU demonstrations should call for a repudiation of the debt and name the date for day of strike action to take on austerity agenda
Property Tax: A new low for Labour & Fine Gael
The planned Property Tax is a new low for this Labour / Fine Gael government. It amounts to straightforward robbery of working class people, as well as a huge attack on people’s civil liberties.
The ULA, the fight against austerity & building a new party of the working class
The Socialist Party has ended its membership of the ULA. We do so with regret as we initiated the negotiations that led to the ULA and are genuine in our preparedness to work with others on the left in a respectful, democratic and principled fashion.
Government to privatise pensions?
Joan Burton’s announcement that a universal pension scheme will be established for private sector workers on the surface can be seen to be a step in dealing with the crisis many workers without pensions will face on retirement.
As 200 emigrate per day, government says worst is over!
2013 has started with the government and the capitalist media going on a propaganda offensive to give the impression that there is a real recovery in the Irish economy.
EU youth guarantee – what is it worth?
Almost one in four young people in the European Union are currently unemployed. In Greece this figure hits 57%, in Spain 56%, in Ireland it is 29%. In total 5.5 million young people are unemployed across Europe and emigration is rife, with people leaving Ireland in numbers not seen since the Famine. In the face of this crisis the European Union has no solution to offer, its latest proposal a ‘Youth Guarantee’ is nothing more than wishful thinking.
Starbucks pays 35k tax in five years, Google 0.14% tax…
The disgracefully nominal amounts of corporation tax being paid by some of the largest multinationals (MNCs) based in Ireland have come to the forefront of the news in recent months. The right-wing rag The Irish Independent even has had to adopt headlines such as “Google chief: 'I'm proud of tax we pay – it's called capitalism” such has been the incredibleness of the figures.
Flags controversy – a socialist view
The political establishment have portrayed 2012 as somewhat of a turning point for Northern Ireland, with society moving beyond the old sectarian divisions – we have been told this is ‘our time, our place’. As if to mock the chic advertising campaigns, the dispute around the flying of the union flag at Belfast City Hall has demonstrated that this is a myth.
The Socialist Party & the political position & operation of the ULA
The Socialist Party initiated the United Left Alliance along with the Workers and Unemployed Action Group (WUAG) and the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA), just over two years ago. In recent months the problem of the ULA’s slow progress has been added to by important political mistakes and the withdrawal of WUAG. Now, as things stand, the Socialist Party has major differences with the position adopted by others in the United Left Alliance on a number of important political issues, and on the operation of the ULA itself. This article will outline some of the issues.
