described Bernadette Ireland's most Dublin last weekend.
Bernadette is standing as a candidate sponsored Peoples Democracy, rish section Fourth International, the Dublin North constituency on February.
endorsement received from Matt Merrigan was the first maior boost for her campaign. As well as being secretary of the countrv's third largest trade union, Merrigan is also chairperson of the Socialist Labour Party whose candidate, Noel Browne, won a seat in the tuency in the last election seven Switch This time Noel Browne isn't standing and Merrigan is urging all who voted for him to switch to Bernadette for one of the four seats which the constituency returns under the proportional representation system even the most innocent observers of the general eleccampaign find - it difficult to disagree that all the major ponnical partes are in need of sustained debunking.
Public attitudes towards the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Labour Party were graphically mustarea in a public opinion poll whose results were announced last week This showed that over half those questioned said they believed little or nothing' what the politicians of the three big parties said The need for candidates like Bernadette and the other candidate Limerick, Harrington. to stand and cut through the apathy displayed in these poll resulls underlined by the similarity of ine ihree main parties Even though the has been caused by the defeat of the ruling Fine Gael Labour coalition budget, there is little By Geoff Bell in Dublin prominent socialist opened her election campaign in difference in what the three parties are saying economy. by In the North of Ireland as well, there is unanimity with Fianna Fail's Charlie Haughey declaring at the very start of the concerned 'Northern Ireland is she liot all Issuc But the PD and other anti-imperialist campaigns of Provisional Sinn rein and the Irish Republican Socialist Parstand against such consensus.
The PD election manifesto begins 'Ireland is in the middle of a crisis. The worst in fifty economic politically the legacy of partition is coming home to roost.
The bare statistics spel out the depth the crisis. Unemployment stands at at erecent and 17 percent the South of Ireland's gross na tional product is in hock toreign bankers.
Mess The Irish dominated as it is by national and multi-national capital, is in Srish a mess rechei Warned that Ireland is in danger of turning into a West banana republic'. tension of trish economic suspension sovereignty tional Monetary over direct contro of the frish economy.
When asked at a press conference last Friday nadette was refreshingly direct.
the Way organised in this country, said, pinpointing an economy ravaged by impérialism.
spend lily years trying to bake a cake which when you put it in an oven wont rise, ten une best thing to do is tear up the damn recipe.' Is lne parunion or Irelana As Bernadette put it, when dC UVIUCU We are treated as two opposing pools of cheap sold to the first multi-national speculator who comes along.
on the participation and demands for DUUST North of teatures in the PD campaign.
The election manifesto explains that 'each spent on security to prop up a border which nobody wants.
the Poverty of f1m a day is more than is spent on education, housing or the creation of people of the South, partition means they live in poverty while hundreds of millions of pounds Is lacing are squandered to protect the bankruptcy:
power and Northern Unionists economic response.
went walkabout shops and pubs of the constiper cent ot tuency reception was to ancholy.
'God bless
LU SCE YUl were the most common, repeated collicils economy, ingly perhaps the welcome was wallicol warned European economic the InternaFund taking her Berthings she 'If you Fianna Fail's Charlie Haughey Central to the current recipe rate labour, to be politicians.
Woke the are key from those who had seen the Ireland they had fought for six- confided, ty years ago turning into a third speculators paradise; from those who had seen the dream of a united, free Ireland how cnicallv sold by the big-time else?' Yet nadette' s who woman. MUSI have been in her late seventies, CrOWe around Ber nadette at one shopping centre, Black and Tans in my time' he referring the mercenaries of sixty 'You'll be alright, Bernie could I vote for anyone nol just Berstruggles in the North which at'She'll fight for ordinary people, that's all I KnOW was one comment 'I'm interested politics but I'll vote for you because you're a woman and it's time we women took over Of course, although man! waited patiently to shake he hand, there was hostility well. A stern-faced passer t declareers looked bery tha:
Others looked someone should be talking about British troops in Ireland as if it was a memory they wished to exorcise. Need But the response during the first fer hours in her constituency wa optimistic.
'If she gets in, she'll give them hell. we need more is: her', was the comment that bes exoressee me hoot nadette's candidature ha The odds in the bookies' are three to one , against her winn ing the seat, but whatever the the the capacity of ordinary people organised and fighting for wha rightfully theirs IS being spread The election slogans sums up.- 'A voice for Irish unity, a voice for working peopic Money rolls in for Bernadette's campaign THE financial appeal for the in: candidates sponsored by People': Democracy has produced an meulate response. bur more is s:: needed.
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bemocrac Fund, c/o Plough Books, 15 Cart Street, Dublin or giro direc: :0 Electior rune accour 494/110. Bank monde Quay, Socialist Challenge Tar nove contrious Manchester SC £10; Isingior 50 £40; Wandsworth SC £20; Cole: HOn a LLl AUM I40; Lamze" x £43; Hackney SC £32
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THE great debunker of the charlatans who claim to speak for the working class in this country' - that's how Matt Merrigan, one of Ireland's best known trade union leaders, McAliskey revolutionary
Thi response en Ber- naderle and her election helpers