TRALEE Public Meeting "After Lisbon: Building a New Political Movement"

kerry | anti-capitalism | event notice Wednesday July 09, 2008 20:16 by sean moraghan - people b4 profit alliance (kerry) earthsoulrocknroll at gmail dot com

Three speakers will visit Tralee to argue for a new move to the Left, following the defeat of the Lisbon Treaty.

**Francois Duval is a French activist who has been involved in forming a new Left party.

**Kieran Allen is a university lecturer and sociologist who has spoken in Tralee on a number of occassions. He has written books on Ireland's so-called Celtic Tiger and "The Corporate Takeover of Ireland".

**Dermot Connolly is a member of the Campaign for an Independent Left

All these speakers agree that a space has opened up in Irish politics for a new, and Left, vision. Especially since the defeat of the Lisbon Treaty, which they regard as a victory for the Left (contrary to the media focus on religious micro-groups and right-wingers Libertas).

The political elite is hopelessly out of touch with the Irish people. There's a "disconnect". And not just on Lisbon. They squandered the boom. Where's our world-class health service? Decent primary school buildings? Now they want us to suffer for the collapse of the construction-fuelled boom and they will introduce pay freezes and cut-backs...

The Labour Party and the Greens no longer believe in Left policies. There is a HUGE political vacuum in Ireland.

The speakers believe that a new left formation could win local election seats and play a key role in protecting our public services.
They want local people to get involved in the new left, and to stand candidates in Kerry in the local elections next year.

They will be arguing their case at

"After Lisbon: Building a New Political Movement"

@ The Grand Hotel
Wednesday 16 July @ 8PM