Ann Foley, a single mother of one and a postgraduate student in International Relations at UCC, from Newmarket, will be officially announced this week as a People Before Profit candidate for the Cork North West constituency.
The newly formed United Left Alliance (ULA) will hold a meeting in Cork this week to launch its pre-election policies, in the Metropole Hotel, McCurtain Street, Wednesday 12th at 7.30pm. The Alliance is set to contest more than 20 constituencies in the upcoming general election. (The United Left Alliance is an amalgamation of the Socialist Party, People Before Profit Alliance, and Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
Ms Foley said the alternative being offered by Fine Gael, and Labour is the same as what Fianna Fail have been pursuing, and she believes there is an appetite for real change in Irish politics.
“It’s the same traditional, established political parties with the same policies, that’s what is on offer,” she said. “The policies of Fine Gael and Labour will do nothing to help the ordinary people. The minimum wage is a disgrace especially when the standard of living is so high. Nothing either party have said of late gives any indication that they would pursue real social change.”
Each member of the ULA, who will contest the election, must sign a candidate pledge. Included in this pledge is a guarantee that Dáil deputies will not take a salary higher than the industrial wage, all members will not attend conferences in Ireland or abroad considered to be junkets, members will use public transport where possible and not use ministerial cars should they assume such a post.
Ms Foley believes this will make them more credible to the people. “I feel the ULA has very common sense policies. There is nothing dramatic or revolutionary about our policies. A lot of countries have functioning social democracies, especially in Scandinavia. They have great health, transport and childcare systems. This is the direction we want to take, a direction this Government failed to follow, and indeed a direction that the policies of Labour and Fine Gael will fail to follow also.”
“We have the chance to invoke real change in Ireland but change for the benefit of the citizens, not the select few.”
Contact email Ann Foley
for more info on the ULA, visit their website at www.unitedleftalliance.org
Discussion on Cork North West and the ULA has already started on politics.ie:
http://www.politics.ie/cork/147850-ula-candidate-cork-north-west.html
Good,more choice the better.The established parties aint exactly setting the heather blazing are they………
Is that one for real – yes in Scandinavia they have great healthcare, education, benefits etc but they pay taxes in excess of 50%!! And as for the ministerial car…delusional!
Is that you Biffo?
Ann Foley here. Just to reply to Cara O’ Rourke. Taxes here are not much lower, and yet our health care system is in complete disarray. Health care workers, porters, nurses, doctors, domestic staff etc., do the very best they can (and I witness this amazing work in C.U.H every two weeks) but they are under enormous stress and strain because of cut backs. As for our educations system, again it’s the teachers, teaching assistants, Special needs assistants,language support staff and OUR children that suffer because of the ridiculous cuts. There is enough money in this country for all of these services to be maintained to a very high degree.
As for the ministerial car, no I won’t use one should I be elected. A 1 litre eco friendly would be perfectly fine to me. Why should a T.D live a life of luxury compared to the electorate? They are there to serve the people, not live off their hard earned cash. No, the time has come for that nonsense to end. All of us have to demand change, and an end to this continued elitism.
If I have come across rude, I’m not. I’m just passionate, and very angry at the wastefullness by the vast majority of our T.Ds.
I don’t think you come across as rude, just not in touch with reality. Taxes in Ireland ARE significantly lower than in Scandinavia. I did my Erasmus stay in Malmo and spent some time in Denmark as well. My point is that if you want Scandinavian systems we would need Scandinavian tax levels (and bear in mind their average wage is lower than the Irish) and people here would not tolerate that. Yes the system needs reform, but real reform.
As for the ministerial car…only minsters get one. How you think that someone who has NEVER been elected by the people, not even to the council, could firstly be elected in the most conservative constituency in the country, and secondly would be considered Ministerial calibre??
I’m passionate about my country, but I’m realistic. I don’t think the future lies on the left.
“As for the ministerial car…only minsters get one.”
One would assume so, but not quite the case. Biffo will have one for life and two drivers paid for by us poor foolish taxpayers. Also Bertie and Albert and Garret and John and Mary and so many others (eg judiciary, WAGS, etc. )
To qualify step on board the Gravy Train and proceed to the 1st Class carriage. Brass neck helps.
A Taoiseach has the right to a garda driver for life (and they work week on week off which is why they need two), not as a driver but as protection. Not all former Taoisigh have them, some have refused them in light of the cost to the taxpayer.
Irrespective of all of that, how likely is it that a new candidate in the most conservative constituency in the country, will get elected for starters and then somehow become a minister?