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LEADER OF THE LABOUR Party, Ivana Bacik has hit out at Sinn Féin and said that she has “difficulties” describing it as a left-wing party.
In an interview with The Journal, the Dublin Bay South TD said her party has “huge ideological differences” with the three biggest political parties in the State – Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin.
On Sinn Féin, Bacik said she would describe the party as “populist” and argued it has taken positions, particularly on taxation and climate change, that are “at odds with left-wing parties” and not “credible”.
“They themselves would acknowledge their guiding force is nationalism and not social democracy or socialism,” Bacik argued.
Sinn Féin has long described itself as a left-wing nationalist party, with its members sitting in The Left group of the European Parliament. However, in recent times, the party has struggled internally with a clash in values.
In particular, Bacik pointed to the party’s record on climate change; its “flip flop” on the Nature Restoration Law at EU level and its opposition to the carbon tax nationally (something other parties on the left, such as People Before Profit are also opposed to).
On the Nature Restoration Law, Bacik said: “I mean, the biggest innovation on tackling climate at EU level and Sinn Féin vote against it?
“That’s not credible.”
Bacik also pointed to the party’s proposal to scrap the property tax as a stance that doesn’t align with traditional left-wing ideology.
“That’s a wealth tax. It’s a tax on assets. And I always had the belief that for us on the left, the party of work, party of the trade union movement, our focus in taxation must be on wealth and not on work,” Bacik said.
As part of its pitch to voters in this election, the Labour Party is not proposing any increase in income tax, but Bacik said she does believe that a solid and fair tax base should be a priority for government.
The Labour Party currently has six TDs in the Dáil, with two, Brendan Howlin and Seán Sherlock not seeking re-election. In this election, it is running 32 candidates and Bacik is hoping to build on what they have.
The party was once one of the “big three” parties in the country, but after dropping to just seven TDs in 2016 after its stint in government it has not yet managed to return to its 2011 high of 37 TDs.
During this election, it has been reported that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been eyeing up the Labour Party as a possible junior coalition partner to replace the Greens, an idea Bacik has dismissed as “arrogant”.
But Bacik has long talked about her party being “serious” about going into government. Is she willing to do that no matter the cost to her party’s future?
On the suggestion that Labour would risk a hammering from the electorate, similar to 2011 if it went into government with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, Bacik makes the point that both parties have “wasted a decade of prosperity” and what she and her Labour colleagues want to see is real change in communities.
“It’s not about one party, it’s about actually delivering change.
“And the best, the only way, to deliver change is through going into government,” she said.
She is firm though that her first priority, if re-elected, will be to form a “common platform” on the left, namely with the Green Party and the Social Democrats, to go into any government formation talks together.
Taoiseach Simon Harris rejected this idea on Friday in an interview with the Irish Times, but Bacik said it is “presumptuous” and “arrogant” for him to categorically rule anyone out at this point.
She also pushed back on the idea that a coalition involving a number of smaller parties on the left would be unstable, arguing that a clear policy platform would counter this.
Bacik’s “biggest fear” is that the next government would be any of the three biggest parties in coalition with a group of Independents or “far-right Independents”.
“Then we will see not only a lack of stability in government, but a really, seriously dangerous set of policies being adopted that will set us back on climate action. That’s a real fear, as we see with Trump, and will not guarantee the state investment in housing and care that is needed and that people are looking for.”
In particular, Bacik said she would be “very worried” about the prospect of Aontú or Independent Ireland being in government.
On incoming US President Donald Trump, Bacik spoke of how, as the mother of teenagers, she was “deeply distressed” to see Trump re-elected.
She said his presidency for the next four years will likely set back climate action “irrevocably” and argued that this means greater action is needed domestically.
“The Greens have been talking about their time in government, but even with their efforts, at best, the EPA are saying we’re only on target to achieve 29% emission reductions by 2030. The EU binding goal is 51%. That’s absolutely terrifying.
“So we need to see a collective mass, a critical mass, of TDs in the next government who are committed to climate action, whatever party they’re from. We need that common platform on environmental issues, as we do on housing and on childcare,” Bacik said.
Elsewhere, Bacik made the point that some of the criticism of Justice Minister Helen McEntee from political candidates in this election has been gendered.
“I would be very concerned about that. As a former criminal practitioner, I have a lot of criticisms of the Justice Minister’s approach, particularly on policing,” Bacik said, highlighting in particular a failure to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of gardaí.
“So I have criticisms for the Justice Minister, but I absolutely refute any attempt to make gendered criticisms. And to suggest, as some of her coalition colleagues have done, in this sort of phony war that’s going on between the two [parties], that she’s somehow at fault for having taken time of for maternity leave is unacceptable.”
Earlier this week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin defended comments made by junior minister James Browne, that referenced times McEntee was replaced by colleagues while on maternity leave, and said they were “completely misinterpreted”.
Labour will never be trusted again after their last stint in government supporting Fine Gael austerity and mercilessly hammering thw workers of this country.
Thanks for the water charges Ivana….
@Tis Shields: The Labour Party in Ireland are right of centre. They haven’t been left for years!
@DJ D: exactly, we have difficulty in describing Labour as left wing, which is supposed to stand for workers. Especially after their last stint in office which they passed harsh rightwing policies on ordinary workers and went against every promise.
@F1rYnpWc: They’re more blueshirt than the blueshirts themselves!
@Tis Shields: I’d say Alan Kelly often regrets saying, “Power is a drug” and “We’ll make you pay”. Not his finest memorable quotes.
@H Woo: Are you talking about O’Duffy? That’s an interesting inversion of reality when one thinks he went on to form the Blueshirts (whose aim was to break up union meetings on behalf of business owners) and violently clash on the streets with republicans
@H Woo: oh the irony
@H Woo: O’Duffy?
The leader of FG for it’s first 23 months and one of its founders.
You are some clown
@sean weir: lol
@sean weir: only decent thing a shinner ever did was starve themselves lol
@Paul M Doe: Doetroll (noun) /třɛųļ fřêķ:
meaning, 24/7 attention starved comments poster that has highly unskilled attempts at provocation or conducting intelligent debate with other commentors.
Take the long weekend off doetroll.
A pity they didn’t press her on her attendance at Katherine Zappones dinner when the rest of us were subject to covid restrictions.
@Matt D: lol
Labour = FG-Lite
@Spartacus Ireland: Someone might want to remind Ivana who was in government in 2013 when the local property tax was introduced which she has here described as not aligning with left-wing ideology.
@Rochelle Hart: That is the very opposite to what she said.
@Rochelle Hart: more lies from you
Joan Burton, the then minister pushed by Ivana and Catherine zapone brought in the gender recognition act which has given us boys in girls sports and Barbie Kardashian
That’s rich coming from a party that has kept so many right wing governments afloat.
@Aidan Collins: sigh
@Aidan Collins: what right wing government?
Ivana bat&h1t has some neck to accuse anyone of populism, this is the liebour party that published every little hurts advertisement before the 2011 general election and when they got into government done a 360 degree turnaround and implemented charge and tax , Howlin even said he would prefer a tax than a cut, Burton even did the lousy thing of taking the E5 prsi allowance off every working man and woman, and let’s not forget Kelly Rambo trying to load us with water charges, and Rabbit would say”ah sure that’s what you do during an election” the liebour party is more for their rich friends than lowest worker on minimum wage.
@K O: @Trevor Beacom: And took medical cards from disabled kids.
Anything and everything they could do to the most vulnerable.
Remember, if you vote for Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael then you could also be electing Labour and their far-left policies.
@common sense: lol. So far in this thread, Labour are everything from left to right. SF are clearly a populist party. They have to be. They have no choice. Their stated ambition is a United ireland. There is no way that anything other than populist politics could get them there. The irony is that they have been out populist-ed. Now nobody wants them apart from people who fall for all this United ireland nonsense that was drummed into them in school.
@common sense: Labour’s actual policies when in government have been Thatcherite right wing.
More Fine Gael thanFine Gael themselves.
@Alan: this “United Ireland nonsense” is not just a SF issue. It’s a little something called self determination and it’s a result of colonial occupation. Little sleeveens can try stand in the way if they like, but it’s coming
@Darth O’Leary: All, yes all, political parties in the Dail are in favour of a united Ireland. SF is the least capable of bringing it around. They have totally failed in forging any understanding or forward thinking with UUP or DUP.
@D Farrell: I believe it’s the DUP that are stalling reconciliation. Republicans by nature believe in peaceful coexistence with our orange occupier brethren. It’s the crown that’s the problem. Wolfe Tone, the absolute ledge, father of Irish Republicanism, said this “To subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to break the connection with England, the never-failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my country, these were my objects. To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of past dissensions, and to substitute the common name of Irishman, in place of the denominations of Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter, these were my means”
@Alan: “United ireland nonsense”
I believe it was Michael Collins who said “the mentality of many Irish people is the mentality of the serf that’s begs to serve the British crown even if he doesn’t have to”
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: what utter nonsense
@Darth O’Leary: Are u having a laugh ? Wise up man
@sean weir: surely a hunger strike is the only option? lol
@Darth O’Leary: Sinn Féin is the party least likely to persuade the Unionists to join a united Ireland.
LOL, one non entity slagging off another non entity…….. thankfully the charade & nonsense will be over this time next week
@Frank Mc Carthy: The political wing of the teachers unions, flagging off the political wing of the Belfast IRA
@Thomas Sheridan: flagging, at least get your insult right
@Thomas Sheridan: Very well said Thomas. Both groups are as treacherous as each other. Teachers’ unions kneecap the minds, the IRA kneecap the bodies.
As the mumbler Alan Kelly said, he’d never be the leader of a left wing party
Sinn Fein are ruled from Belfast the army council decides All
@Tim Brennan: Despite the fact that the international observers of the Good Friday Agreement have stated categorically that the army councik is gobe as so is the IRA. Ypu’d want to worry if the IRB are still ruling Fine Gael.
@Brian D’Arcy: yeah yeah. Sinn fein are a cult not a party look after six counties we don’t want their thuggery
@Brian D’Arcy: some people love living in the past
@Brian D’Arcy: Citation needed, unless you’re hanging on to an opinion from 2008 which has been updated and contradicts your claim.
@Tim Brennan: don’t speak first others just your own opinions….
@honey badger: clarification of your misleading post, yet again. Brian quotes the international oversight body from 2008. You infer that has been updated, false. Maybe you are referring to the 2015 statement from PSNI, reportedly based on intelligence,which in PSNI case is gathered by British MI5, which is far from independent. Also it reportedly based on a belief system of some alleged former members of PIRA. So nothing anywhere near factual to it which would contradict or negate the independent international oversight body.
@Tim Brennan: haha Brian D’Arcy made a thick of you, you going stand for that
@barry williams: No past with a party who can’t condemn IRA atrocities and murder Gardai
@Tim Brennan: Did Dev and Collins condemn IRA atrocities, and the murders of the RIC?
Do you not accept that the British “Security Forces” were the recruitrers for the IRA, and that it was the atrocities of those Brits that led to what followed?
@Tim Brennan: give over with you bu!!shit scare tactic .
@North Phone Bowe: I think the badger headed back into his sett after that. Absolutely spot on. As if their intelligence could be relied upon by anyone other than misinformation merchants
@Tim Brennan: mc gahon a sitting fine gael senator, and close personal friend of the tic toc taoiseach, goes around music festivals sticking twixs into the anus of sleeping strangers. Chilling. What kind of mind would think of doing something like that?
@Alex Kane: No need, Sinn Fein IRA are in Government in the Kings country and that’s no going very well
@Tim Brennan: so all the international observers are wrong and Tim is right ,
You do know that the IRA decommissioned as part of the GFA, if there was a “army council” there would be no GFA ,the only MLA’s in the north that are speaking to paramilitaries are the DUP
@honey badger: you read the fg manifesto, you may need to bring your calculator
@Jimmy Kiely: I detest Sinn Fein full stop
What would bobby Sandwiches and the slimfast gang think of sk um fein administering British rule lol
Labour is a spent force, they sold out the ordinary working family when they joined forces with Fine Gael and voted austerity. Labour will be luck to return with the same number of TD.
@H Woo: poo, poo, leaving out the €220 billion the country owes. The country is a wash with money, that why FF/FG don’t want to loose their grip on power, they want to squander the few billion we have. They will promise the sun moon and stars to hold on to power.
@H Woo: Poo,Poo, I won’t be congratulating FF/FG for the mess they have have left our country in, after a hundred years sharing power.
Champagne socialists. Pass the caviar, Ivana dearest.
Why did the cofounder of Labour in James Larkin leave the party again, oh yeah, because thry backed the most right wing party in the state Fine Gael at council level. Bad news Bacik, they don’t need yiu anymore, Fianna Fáil theur new partners, well,at council level they’ve been cohorts for years. And imagine people bought that civil war nonsense.
@Brian D’Arcy: the SF Nazis appear to be very triggered lol
I’m not sure the Labour party have the first idea of what is actually left wing since they apparently thought education cuts and attempting to privatise water were great socialist policies while in government.
Labour are mini FG
@H Woo: I’d view shinners more like Nazis
They took Connolly’s and turned it into a neo liberal FG lite. Only AK-47 is safe this time and that’s purely because there’s no other left leaning candidate in his constituency. Ivana will do well to scrape in, herself
@Darth O’Leary: * Connolly’s party
Liar-bor are Fianna Gael shills, waiting in the wings to jump in bed with Fianna Fáil and Gael to form their unholy alliance for the next govt. we cannot forget their empty promises and how they sold out ordinary tax payers when they last were in Enda Kenny’s Fianna Gael govt. Vote the out!!!
Bacik is right: SF has always been at heart a one-issue party. The only thing it really cares about is getting rid of the border. In that sense it is a no-wing (as opposed to a centrist) party, although a narrowly nationalist mindset means that many of its members and supporters have had a lot in common with the far right.
@Brendan O’Brien: Except that they do not seem to support that one policy that would in due course solve our most serious problems – restrictions on immigration.
@Brendan O’Brien: that’s not true. Irish nationalists and republicans, SF included, have traditionally been much more left leaning than our neighbors in Europe. Our flag represents peace and tolerance
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: I hope the next government will face this reality. Our current government certainly won’t
@Darth O’Leary: the nazis was a nationalist party and most of the country would agree the narcissist Mary Lou is the Irish Hitler. 100 years of ff fg, she’d set us back 200 years. Then another government would have to mop up and bring austerity after her brain dead policies. Wasn’t she part of ff when they bankrupted the country. She wants to hold ff and fg accountable for 100 years but in the same breath forget sf’s history. She criticized trump but is using is campaign slogan ‘are you better off now than 5 years ago’. That was trumps campaign. She criticized the monk running and has a sitting sf td that made bombs used to kill innocent women and children. That’s before I even start on her idiotic policies.
@Brendan O’Brien: jesus what a load of waffle
@Darth O’Leary: There is absolutely no historical justification to that assertion
SF are worse than the Nazis
@John Kenny: the bonds also killed men. Do their lives not matter?
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: immigration is not our most serious problem. We had financial crash’s, housing issues and poverty long before immigration. But that fact doesn’t suit your racist narrative, does it?
another daft bicycleist with zero grasp of reality
We need a right wing party that puts ireland first not any of these woke pansies
@Chris Whelan: How about a Nationalist Socialist Party?
@Chris Whelan: You genuinely think we need racists in the Dáil? Weird take.
@H Woo: show was absolute subhumans SF are
@Chris Whelan: Na. We can do without racists and bigots in the Dail. “Ireland is full” claims the Dublin-west far right counsellor, Glen Moore. An openly gay man who you would think would have some tolerance and empathy with others. It amazes me that he thinks the far-right have any tolerance for gay people like him. He hasn’t read any history clearly. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
Thank goodness neither Labour or SF will be anywhere near forming a government
Ivana Bacik is such a far-left radical that even Sinn Fein isn’t left-wing enough for her. If you look at her statements and her policy positions over the years, it’s clear that she is a borderline Marxist. She made her name as a purebred establishment academic in “feminist theory” and everyone knows that such academia is riddled with Marxist leeches who dream of the government controlling everything. This is the problem in Ireland, we have too many left-wing parties. This causes them to compete with one another to see who can come up with the most radical policies. Even Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are centre-left. There is a hegemony of opinion in the Dáil and those who support free-market and capitalist policies are not heard at all.
They are back on the United irelabd nonsense. Mary Lou look at all the wars in the world now all over land and boundaries. Clearly she wants to go back to the troubles. Clearly out of touch with the most important issues to Irish people. Unites Ireland is a romantic notion nothing more. Anyways dividing people is the sf police so do we unite Ireland by dividing the people? Also she has a problem with criminals running for the dail. Does that excuse members of Sinn Fein like Dessie Ellis. This bombs killed many women and children. Maybe you should apologize to their families before getting on your high horse over Gaza. Sf policy do as we say not as we do.
@John Kenny: As the IRA won – they got the Brits to agree to leave – there is no need for it, or any more ‘troubles’.
@John Kenny: On her “High horse” over war crimes! Fixed it for you xx
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: The British didn’t leave. Job’s not done. When is the British SOS going to live up to the treaty they signed? There should be an immediate border poll, north and south
@H Woo: dream on Zionist apologist. It’s totally tracks that you’d be with the colonisers on this issue too
@Darth O’Leary: the Ira were terrorists. There was no legal war recognised anywhere in the world. It was a war them and unionists inflicted on the poor people of the north. Both sides completely wrong. Nothing to do with Ireland or the United Kingdom. Just terrorists and criminals excusing their behavior. While I don’t agree with what Israel are currently doing. It’s own official army and it’s controlled by a government. Ira is not an official army and never was which is all the more reason we want sf as far away from our government. Any party that makes excuses for killing women and children, gardai committing kidnapping and robbery’s and now protecting pedos is not welcome in this country. Your sick in the head if you think otherwise
@John Kenny: Official armies get a pass. That’s hilarious. The British state’s brutal, apartheid occupation of the six counties meant nationalists, largely abandoned by the Free State, were fighting for their survival. You didn’t mention that. Adds a lot of context
@John Kenny: So does an army which is controlled by a state have a free ride to commit genocide?… For the record, the IRA were an anti-imperialism resistance established to fight British colonial rule. The Provisional IRA came about at the time of the troubles (late 60s), during the civil rights movement which campaigned for equal civil rights for Catholics in Northern Ireland. Also, any decent Irish person would welcome a united Ireland.
@Paul Linehan: other armies don’t commit robbery and kidnappings. Personally I find it hard to justify the killing of innocent people. If one innocent life has to be lost for a united ireland it’s one too many. Any decent person will acknowledge that. Most Irish people like the romantic notion of a United ireland but don’t want it if it’s at a financial cost to them. The other thing is here there’s around 50% of people living in the north that are happy as is. It’s funny all the Gaza references as what you’re saying is you want the whole of Ireland to vote when it will only impact the country the people of the 6 counties. Northern Ireland is a separate country and the best way to keep peace in Ireland is to leave it that way. This is the facts end of.
@Darth O’Leary: I didn’t say they get a pass but if it’s not an official army then they are terrorists. That’s factual it’s how that are internationally recognized. Do you want Ireland to move forwards or backwards? Look at all the trouble in the world today. All land and border disputes. We have peace in Ireland today. Why risk that? We’ve a lot of problems to solve to improve our country why not sort them before looking for something that will have a huge impact on people that live in another country. Northern Ireland is a separate country get over it. Stop living in the past. Are you jealous of the war in Ukraine and Gaza you want to bring the same to this island of 2 countries again??
@John Kenny: If you think the participants of wars are saints, you’re delusional. Also 50% of people in Northern Ireland want a united Ireland. You keep justifying genocide, as you close your ears to those who want to be included.
@Paul Linehan: Paul obviously reading isn’t your strong point. I have stated numerous times I’m not in fair of any war. 1 life lost for silly reasons is one 2 many. What I’m saying is all the wars now are over land and all completely wrong. Which is why I’m totally against the idea of the United ireland as it will cost trouble and life’s. I don’t care what the unionists or the ira did. No excuse for the behaviour on either side. So don’t deflect and spout nonsense. I never said I’m ok with any war but legally unrecognized organizations are terrorists that’s a fact you can’t deny. Stop deflecting and blaming the Brit’s what the ira did was disgraceful end of
@H Woo: You really are full of manure. It is great to see you and your ilk pissed off that change could be on the way. FF and FG have inflicted real poverty on a lot of early rising workers. Minimal wages, high costs of living and high rents are not the (so called) economic success that young people want and their decision to emigrate is a last resort for most. The brain drain won’t stop until housing is sorted, and it’s not about free houses, it’s about affordable housing for working families. The time has come to eliminate the wasters who have buddied up to each other for the last two terms of government. No preference, no matter how low on the ballot should be given to any FF or FG candidate. High house prices, high rents and high cost of living in a so called wealthy country, shocking.
@John Kenny: OK, so I get it that it’s alright to invade a country, occupy it and engage to the extent of demeaning peoples civil rights…. but it’s not OK for those same people to respond. Crazy stuff altogether. By the way I have no problem reading and navigating my way through logic. It’s the BS from the likes of you that is hard to decipher.
@Paul Linehan: no one is saying that but it was a different time. That’s what happened all over the world back then. Does it make it right? No of course not. But we are more educated and know better now. That’s why no one agrees with what is happening in Ucrânia now. Many other countries were colonized and their people are a lot less bitter than the way some people in Ireland behave. Move on and enjoy the freedom we have. The people up north are happy their side too. Why are you now trying to do what the Brit’s did 100s of years ago. Shouldn’t we be better. You want to colonize what is now another country. That’s what it is legally regardless what it is in your head. Move on and let go of the hate and focus on things that will improve our country. Not bring a war
I’m immensely proud that we turned our backs on the nordies :)
Definitely time for a shinner hunger strike lol
@John Kenny: Did the bombs not kill any men or do their lives not matter.
After the behaviour and actions of the Labour party while previously in coalition, it is clear that, just like its British counterpart, the Labour party in Ireland is ANYTHING but left wing!
Your party might have “huge ideological differences” with FFG/SF but like the bedbugs Labour are they will get into bed with any of them.Hopefully people remember what this shower did last time they were in government and ensure they do not get voted into power.
Labour is joke
National socialists.
Two words… Joan Burton. She who kept the government of right wingers in power after the 2008 crash.
She’s bang on.
I seen Joe Black at riots I knew him cause he done something on me 6 months ago
@Niall Fennessy: thanks for sharing that. I’ll look into it.
Labour, the Party of Wreckage
SF should do what they are born to do. Administer British rule lol
@Paul M Doe: Doetroll (noun) /třɛųļ fřêķ:
meaning: 24/7 attention starved comments poster that has highly unskilled attempts at provocation or conducting intelligent debate with other commentors. Using over 30 profiles, he has lost any control of his agenda & and a lot of self-worth.
Take the long wkd off. Everyone wins.
The same labout party that abondoned working people to hang on to some power??
Get lost.
Back of a bus
And this coming from the leader of the champagne socialist leader of a former left wing party,
Thats rich coming from the champagne Socialists.
I wouldnt consider Labour a left wing party in any shape or form .
Head off now back to obscurity for urself
Liebour led by Bitchache or Sinn Fein. I don’t know which is worse. Both have betrayed their origins.
have your say