Another Fermanagh Sinn Féin Councillor resigns
According to the BBC report, a Fermanagh Sinn Féin Councillor has defected to the Socialist Party, and resigned from the council.
Domhnall O Cobhthaigh is thethirdfourth Sinn Fein member of Fermanagh District Council to leave the party in the space of two years. He was co-opted to fill the seat left by Poilin Ui Cathain who quit in March 2007 over Sinn Fein’s decision to support the police.
Adds From the updated BBC report
[Domhnall O Cobhthaigh] described his decision to leave Sinn Fein as “very difficult” given the “many friends” he was leaving behind in Sinn Fein. However, he said that the current economic crisis had brought difficulties to the party because of the “contradiction between the nationalist and socialist agendas within Sinn Fein”. He said the party was following policies of cuts and privatisation which would only cement sectarianism.
And thanks to Paddy M in the comments zone, the statement in full at the Socialist Party website
[Domhnall O Cobhthaigh] added “Over the past year, I have come to understand that the Assembly system itself only reinforces the sectarian divisions within our society. “All five mainstream parties are doing little more than overseeing the long-term administration of senior civil servants and their right-wing agenda. “While I still have respect for many of my former colleagues within Sinn Fein, I cannot see how they will change this significantly in the context of the current framework of governance.”
And From the statement at the Socialist Party website
“I have decided to resign from Sinn Fein after a period of careful reflection. Over the past twelve years I have worked tirelessly to develop Sinn Féin as an engine of change. Leaving is a very difficult decision given the many friends I am leaving behind in the party.
“I consider that the current economic crisis has brought to antagonism the contradiction between the nationalist and socialist agendas within Sinn Féin. I have struggled for many years to promote the agenda of community empowerment and opposition to neo-liberal economics but realise that I cannot now usefully continue that within Sinn Féin. As a result I have decided to resign my party membership.”
Adds A reminder of where the party was in July.
Garibaldy:
You seem to be reaching conclusions about what the man thinks based on what isn’t in his brief statement rather than what is in his statement. With all due respect, that’s a nonsensical approach. He has already been in the media adding more detail to his decision to leave Sinn Fein.
You can listen to one of his interviews on the UTV site. In it he makes it clear that he thinks that all of the mainstream parties have adopted a common right wing economic policy. He goes on to say that they differentiate themselves by bickering around the politics of identity in a manner that causes further division. Presumably that’s clear enough for you?
Given that this is now his view, Eirigi was hardly a viable option for him. He talked throughout his interview about building a cross-community socialist alternative, and whatever else they may or may not achieve Eirigi are not going to do that. So what does that leave him realistically? He could become an independent activist, but that’s setting your horizons very low. What organisation out there is trying to achieve the goals he talks about apart from the Socialist Party?
Far from being bombastic, I was very clear that the SP is a small organisation, particularly in the North. But it is younger, more visible and more dynamic outfit than the slowly dying likes of the CP or the Workers Party.
the temporary scrapping of water charges is radical beyond belief. Such change in Ireland has we never hoped for.
So yes frankly I do think the scrapping of water charges, on a temporary basis only, is insignificant. That is not radical change by any stretch of imagination.
The Gama workers- yet every day there are more and more workers whose working conditions are being pushed down. Gama is over! Where is the lasting change. There is no lasting change achieved. A temporary victory again. In no way has the SP created a situation where GAMA styke exploitation cannot happen again. Another temporary victory.
Home help, am interested but sceptical about the SPs role in delivering any actual change through your own efforts. open to persuasion.
Migrant workers – the SP achieves another singular victory without actually changing society. Actually saw very little about this in connection with the SP.
Water Charges – as I noted the type of radical change we longed for.
Have I achived radical change? no I have not!. But then I never dressed up minor achievements and ran around beatin my chest telling everyone that I was the worker’s champion which is what the SP do.
Not one of those things you mention above are of any use to creating radical change in Ireland. They are minor inconveniences to right wing parties. Where is the legislative programme to thwart these things occurring in future. Still pending is it?
I am no friend of right wing parties but neither do I believe the SP when it shouts so loudly about its radical vision but creates no real change save a few minor and temporary bumps to bother those self-same right wing parties.
I support what the Socialist Party wants to achieve. I just think they are singularly useless in achieving it.
Socialist,
There have been people who’ve left PSF for the CP in the past. Hence why I mentioned them. I was just making the point that there were other choices available. No more, no less.
Angry,
If you believe that the SP is the most visible and most dynamic socialist organisation in NI then you are welcome to that opinion. Like I said we can agree to disagree. Similarly if you believe it is the only organisation seeking to build a left alternative in NI.
Mark
“was ‘spying’ on éirígí members as they protested in Enniskillen”
Was he spying or was he shopping around for somewhere to go and decided to see how their protest went?
irrationallyangry – “Eirigi was hardly a viable option for him.”
Given that he openly and publicly supported the PSNI, remained silent about the use of the SRR in Fermanagh and having acted as chair of Fermanagh’s District Policing Partnership (where he remained silent about the use of prolonged detentions), I’d say that Domhnall twigged on that Eirigi wouldn’t exactly have welcomed him with open arms….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CHTjkjsVjc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdHTBZJbA7w&feature=related
Video of Peter Hadden discussing the signing of the St. Andrews Agreement in 2006.
shorty: Given that he openly and publicly…
Sheesh. There’s tough rules. In which case I take it that there is no chance of them ever, ever, taking on an ex-unionist?