As the SDLP gather this weekend, here’s a question for you: As Northern Ireland’s political landscape is still dominated by parties that are essentially communal, is it properly equipped to respond to the challenges posed by the global economic crisis?
Personally, I doubt it. From what I’ve seen, the response so far has been a mixture of gesture politics and incoherence. And while there may be early signs of what may aim to be a post-communal political force on the centre-right, the centre-left remains transfixed by contradictions that may no longer be relevant.
I’ll not waste your time rehearsing the reasons why the SDLP’s claim to that mantle is problematic. All I want to say is that…
- It is problematic
- The lack of a focussed centre left alternative may be bad for politics in the long run, and bad for Northern Ireland in the short term because it will be the cause of a less coherent response to the cuts proposed in the CSR
Even former UUP-er Trevor Ringland seems to want to see something akin to an independent Labour Party to emerge, and there’s certainly an argument that a non-Unionist centre-right party can’t exist until a viable non-nationalist centre-left force emerges.
Does this need to be a political party? Not necessarily. But I’d suggest that there needs to be a cross-cutting forum of people who are conversant with each other in a more active way as well as understanding the mainstream PES thinking and responses to the current crisis.
I reckon it would be a good subject for a session at the Slugger event on the 20th November? If you think so too (or if you have a better idea) use this to say so.
Living in London, working as a trade union official in the film and TV industry (opinions my own). Author of “Save Democracy, Abolish Voting” (published by Demsoc in November 2017). Personal website with link to other writing here. On twitter as @paul0evans1
Discover more from Slugger O'Toole
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
