Pat Lawlor to Fight for Assembly Seat in West Belfast!

antrim | politics / elections | press release

Tuesday January 18, 2011 14:02

by West Belfast Socialist Party

socialistpartyni at btconnect dot com

Elect a socialist to fight cuts, not implement them

The Socialist Party is to stand Pat Lawlor for West Belfast in the Assembly elections on May 5th. He has already been selected as the Party's candidate for Lower Falls in the local election.

Pat Lawlor: A socialist fighter against cuts

The Socialist Party is to stand Pat Lawlor for West Belfast in the Assembly elections on May 5th. He has already been selected as the Party's candidate for Lower Falls in the local election. Pat is a neo-natal nurse and trade union representative in the Royal Victoria Hospital, playing a leading role in exposing and campaigning against attacks on the health service in the Belfast Trust.

Pat is the Secretary of the We Won't Pay Campaign which built support for mass non-payment of water charges, preventing both direct rule ministers and the Assembly parties from introducing the double tax. He is also an organiser for the Stop the Cuts Alliance, which brings together community campaigns, trade unionists and political groups who are committed to fighting all attacks on jobs and services.

Announcing his candidature, Pat said:-

"In the draft budget, the Assembly Executive parties have declared war on public services, jobs and the living standards of working-class people. Their £4 billion cuts will throw tens of thousands more onto the dole queue, when real unemployment already stands at 14%. Education and health will be devastated, leaving a whole generation of young people without a future. While maintaining huge subsidies to big business and the super-rich, the main parties plan to massively increase the tax burden on ordinary workers."

"The bankers and speculators responsible for this crisis must be made to pay, not workers and young people. Instead, they are again sharing bonuses of over £7 billion. While the main parties prepare to implement huge cuts on behalf of the Tory government, working people need a voice in Stormont- an anti-sectarian representative who will fight the cuts in the Assembly and give support to those who fight them on the streets. That is why I am standing in the election. If elected, I will live on the average worker's wage and donate the rest of my salary to the socialist movement, workers' struggles and community campaigns."

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Comments (15 of 15)

Excellent!

by UNITE member

Tue Jan 18, 2011 14:05

Good to see people will have an alternative to the main parties, who are all signed up to cuts.

excellent

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party

Tue Jan 18, 2011 14:45

an outbreak of leadership. If only it goes contageous. we could do with a pandemic.

Good news

by Belfast Pat

Tue Jan 18, 2011 23:47

Its also likely that the IRSP and Eirigi will be contesting that same area in the locals so along with the SP that will be three socialist candidates running. Good news

Socialist?

by hmmm

Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:52

I think the main difference between between Pat and eirigi or the Irps is the 'anti-sectarian' bit mentioned in the press release. Sure, if your defintion of socialism is that wide, I'm sure the Sticks will be standing too.

To hmmnn

by Belfast pat

Wed Jan 19, 2011 22:20

Are you trying to say that Eirigi and the IRSP are not socialist and are sectarian? Get a grip will you. And what is your problem with the WP? Are they not socialist either?

socialist party

by PV

Wed Jan 19, 2011 23:30

The question that many will be asking is why not the ULA ?

Exactly what I'm saying

Thu Jan 20, 2011 11:22

The Irps and eirigi are nationalists with a socialist veneer. They are incapable to appealing to Protestants because of their position on the national question, and therefore incapable of building socialism in the North. The Sticks can't build support for socialism in either community because they are seen as republicans by Protestants and as pro-state by Catholics. They do not advocate socialism.

Back at ya hmmm

Thu Jan 20, 2011 13:49

The IRSP, Eirigi and the WP are all socialist organisations, no more, no less than the SP. Regarding their appeal that is a different manner. Though it is odd that you seem to be promoting the fact that the SP dont oppose the british occupation/british imperialism in Ireland as a good thing.

Check your facts

by hmm

Thu Jan 20, 2011 14:49

The Socialist Party and its forerunner, Militant Labour, does and always has opposed the presence of Biritish troops in Ireland. In fact, Militant opposed the troops being sent in in the first place when republicans welcomed them with open arms. The Socialist Party supports a united, socialist Ireland as part of a socialist federation with Scotland, Wales and England. If you have evidence to the contrary, I'd be happy to see it.

eirigi and the Irps have no orientation to mass struggle or the mass organisations of the working-class. Their socialism is skin deep and, as I pointed out and you didn't respond to, since their one-sided and sectarian position on the national question would have them run out of Protestant areas, they can't build socialism.

Check your own facts hmmm

Thu Jan 20, 2011 16:27

Looking to end the occupation is not in anyway a sectarian position much as you might like it to be.

And your elitist position in terms of who is socialist or not is appalling. You might think that ye are sooper dooper socialists and no-one else really is, but thats bull. The sticks, eirigi, irsp, cpi are all socialist, no more no less than you are. Get over it.

Anyway back to the main point, which is that i welcome the fact that the people of West Belfast will now have possibly three socialist alternatives in the upcoming locals - the SP, Eirigi and IRSP.

Re: "Facts"

by Séamus

Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:18

"their one-sided and sectarian position on the national question"

What a condescending statement about republicanism, and it's total nonsense as well. The SP has definitely just lost my votes.

SP standing in West Belfast

by convinced

Sun Jan 23, 2011 16:27

Seamus if the SP have lost your vote they have gained mine!

Eirigi to contest Belfast Local Elections

by Celia S

Sun Jan 23, 2011 20:38

éirígí Ard-Fheis Decides on Electoral Intervention

23/01/11

The socialist republican party éirígí held its Ard-Fheis on Belfast’s Falls Road earlier today [Sunday], at which the membership voted in favour of contesting upcoming local elections in the Six Counties. Candidates will definitely stand in Belfast, with names to be announced in the very near future.

The Ard-Fheis, which was held in the Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich cultural centre, was attended by more than 200 people and was addressed by speakers from the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Latin American Solidarity Centre, the Independent Workers’ Union, FEE, as well as cathaoirleach éirígí Brian Leeson and rúnaí ginearálta Breandán Mac Cionnaith.

Messages of solidarity were also sent by the Cuban ambassador to Ireland Teresita Trujillo and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Regarding the decision taken by the party membership on the Six County local elections, Brian Leeson said: “Five years on from the formation of éirígí, the party feels the time is right to make an electoral intervention in order to further promote a resurgent socialist republicanism.

“éirígí has no illusions about the nature of electoral politics in the Six Counties and, indeed, across Ireland. The Six Counties is an irreformably corrupt, sectarian state. No amount of elections to local councils, assemblies or foreign parliaments can change that fact.

“We believe there is a real appetite for a radical voice to emerge from working class communities that will forcefully challenge the British occupation and economic exploitation and deprivation.

Leeson added: “Ultimately, the cuts that are being implemented by the British government and its puppet administration at Stormont will have to be defeated on the streets, in our communities and in people’s workplaces. éirígí will be making the case for this course of action throughout the forthcoming election campaign.”

Eirigi

by jimbo

Sun Jan 23, 2011 23:03

Great to see another socialist party to vote for. It is very encouraging

A split

by Rumpy Pumpy

Sat Jan 29, 2011 21:14

A full FIVE posts before we had a split in the left.

After some 60 years of struggle that is real progress.

Anyone on here related to those clowns undermining the cuts campaign by having a badly attended, hastily organised "Student" protest today?

Events like that undermine the entire campaign.

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Pat Lawlor to Fight for Assembly Seat in West Belfast!

Comments (15 of 15)