PBP National Council: Left Government and the Sligo rep that voted Fianna Fáil

People Before Profit has a National Council this week - this a forum where delegates from branches from across the 32 counties meet to discuss policy, strategy and tactics for the coming period.

The main debate will be around two motions from the Cork branch of PBP. Firstly they’ve asked for the party to reconsider its stance on left government and its support for Sinn Féin. The second motion deals with a PBP rep in Sligo, Cllr Gino O’Boyle, who voted for a Fianna Fáil Mayor.

On left government, the majority position is to suggest we’d go into government with Sinn Féin but to then use “red lines” in the governmental discussions as an excuse to walk out and support Sinn Féin externally and case by case.

We in the Red Network have never agreed with this dishonest position. Any serious socialist approach to left government has to take account of two things: 

Firstly, most people want to get rid of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We have to engage with that desire for change or be consigned to the margins of politics.

Secondly, we have to tell the truth about Sinn Féin’s hesitation to challenge the establishment and the danger that, without external pressure from the working class, they would coalesce with that establishment.

If you go around saying a left government (and by implication Sinn Féin) “will solve the housing crisis” etc but then on the other hand criticise Sinn Féin when they pander to fascists or refuse to take are harder stance on Israeli Apartheid, your pulling in two directions at once.

But the Red Network have always had a clear position: socialist TDs should offer external support for a Sinn Féin led government and vote for it case by case.

That way you help get rid of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael but you say openly and honestly - we will put ourselves in a strong position to discipline Sinn Féin. The job of socialists is to mobilise working class people to counter the pressure of the rich by applying pressure from below on Sinn Féin.

The PBP steering group majority is now, correctly, adding a sentence into election material about Sinn Féin hesitancy to challenge the system. But it comes tailing after the fact, instead of being ahead of events and clarifying the task ahead of workers, it comes tailing after Sinn Féin’s hesitancy is evident to many. 

The biggest network, the Socialist Workers Network, object to the Red Network position on left government for the following reasons:

They say that it lets Sinn Féin off the hook by not asking them to choose between left and right. But asking Sinn Féin to form a left government with socialists offering external support still demands of them they rule out Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael?

And surely our task is not to just point out the limitations of the landlord parties but to also differentiate socialists from the “left” which includes the traitors in Labour, Labour-lite in the Soc Dems and the neoliberal Greens.

Sinn Féin can’t form a government without all those ghouls and goblins of the “left”. 

The next argument is that “we can’t just engage in the politics of condemnation!”

Agreed. We have to make our criticisms from a position of authority by engaging in class struggle. We have to pull Sinn Féin into mass movements like the water charges or on housing where we can prove we’re right about them in practice. 

But that goes hand in hand with clarifying the truth about various parties. Struggle won’t do it automatically. It’s the best place from which to do it, but you have to make your arguments.

The next one we have heard is that “Sinn Féin are on 18% and their votes are in working class areas so we have to engage with that audience!”

Yes, we do. But engage with them with socialist politics. Not as cheerleaders for Sinn Féin.

There are more than 18% in the estates who support all manner of reactionary views too - should we tail those views? No, we show discretion in what demands from the working class we express. Merely expressing whatever people happen to believe is not socialist.

And the Red Network position clearly says “socialist TDs will vote to give you Mary Lou McDonald over Simon Harris but we will also put ourselves in a strong position to make sure Sinn Féin deliver on promises, they seem hesitant to challenge the establishment, we aren’t!”

External support, case by case, gives socialists the independence they need from Sinn Féin to truly hold them to their promises and mobilise our class when they don’t deliver. 

The second big debate will be about the PBP rep in Sligo, Cllr Gino O’Boyle, voting for a Fianna Fáil Mayor in a deal that sees him get to be Deputy Mayor and get that Mayoral seat next time around. This has got into the mainstream papers with an article in the Independent.

This clearly goes against everything PBP promised in the run up to the local elections where we clearly stated we would never do deals with the landlord parties.

Gino O’Boyle is a good working class activist with a strong support base but while respecting that we have to honestly say - you made a huge mistake on this!

The Socialist Workers Network (except for dissenting voices from Belfast) have come back with pathetic arguments in defence of this:

They say it’s a “technical issue” because being Mayor in this Sligo borough doesn’t hold any power and it’s a ceremonial position. That’s just a bullshit excuse. 

Firstly, our Red Network Cllr Madeleine Johansson, would never, ever nominate or second a Fianna Fáil rep for any position in the council - from local area committees right up to Mayor. Even if that position was purely “ceremonial” or in name only. 

Fianna Fáil destroyed working class communities. They should be behind bars. They are the enemy of our class. There should be absolutely no working with these scumbags. 

Secondly, it’s argued that Gino O’Boyle will apologise to the National Council but keep the position of Deputy Mayor. If nothing changes in the real world then the apology isn’t real. There has to be an apology to the working class!

A public apology, combined with stepping down from the Deputy Mayor role, would show that socialists have principles and are willing to correct mistakes, workers can trust us to stick to our principles.

Thirdly, some are arguing that it’s personally upsetting for a member to be hauled in front of a National Council to account for their actions. But if we follow that logic you just let your elected reps do whatever they like because they might be “personally upset” if you reprimand them?

This is not personal, it’s politics. 

The Red Network will be supporting the motions from the Cork branch of PBP and fighting for an honest position on Sinn Féin and left government and for all PBP reps to be held accountable by us, on behalf of the working class. 

If you are a member of PBP and agree with us then join the Red Network and fight for working class socialist politics.