Socialist Party Launch in Enniskillen

I launched my campaign at an event attended by supporters in the Westville Hotel on Thursday 14^thApril. The event was chaired by Ciaran Mulholland, treasurer of the Socialist Party NI, and speaking was newly elected Dublin North Socialist Party TD, Clare Daly.

Clare spoke about the economic crisis in the Republic of Ireland and how ordinary people had suffered as a result of the decision to bailout bankers, speculators and bondholders. She pointed to the need for working people to campaign against these cuts and the need for social solidarity.

The following is a snippet from my speech at the event:

"There is already a threat hanging over services at the new hospital which hasn’t even been built yet; we lost obstetrics and gynaecology services for more than a month last year because they couldn’t find doctors to provide cover; half of our schools are under threat of closure and that was before the 15% cut to running costs and the 30% cut to capital budgets; classroom assistants are facing the axe leaving special needs children abandoned;  32,500 hours of home help has been slashed in Fermanagh this year alone; unemployment in Enniskillen has doubled in the last three years; our young people are having to emigrate, universities are becoming the preserve of the rich and we are threatened with even more public sector job losses. And all the mainstream political parties can do is focus on the need to reduce corporation at a cost of further job losses and public sector cuts!

"Our politicians are agreed on implementing the most severe cuts to public services since 1924; worse than anything Thatcher did. The parties are playing the same old divisive games ahead of these elections but once they are elected they will be joined at the hip implementing these cuts. Instead of implementing cuts, we need to build campaigns alongside the trade unions and communities to fight the cuts!

"They tell us that there is no alternative but it is estimated that the super rich get off with £120 billion in tax avoidance every year and they put £1 trillion into the banks in 2008 to bail them out. Yet there is not the money to employ much needed, newly qualified nurses in Northern Ireland and they have to emigrate to find work!

"The mainstream parties tell us that they have no choice that they must implement these cuts. But if our parties can only implement Westminster cuts, what is the point of the Stormont circus?

"If I am elected I will stand with every community to oppose these cuts and to demand a public works programme to create the jobs we need. We must build cross-community campaigns to stand for all public services so that they cannot implement austerity while playing one against the other as they have so many times before.



Canvassing Derrychara



"We are the only party who will be canvassing for votes in every estate in this town. Our campaign is already getting a good response. I believe we can achieve a great result in this election and I would ask you all to get involved in building opposition to these Tory-Stormont cuts!