The night of Monday April 4 saw the launch in Derry for Eamonn McCann’s Assembly Campaign. It was a bit surreal in the City Hotel as the local Tech was holding its annual Fashion Show, so students dressed in outlandish costumes and outlandish haircuts rubbed shoulders in the corridors with paper-sellers in even more outlandish costumes and haircuts.
Between 80 and 90 people came to the meeting which was very ably chaired by Connor Kelly, our candidate for the Derry City Council Cityside ward. He began by reading out messages of support from Jim Barbour of the Fire Brigades Union and others, and then introduced the three speakers.
First up was Diane Greer of the Happy Enchallidas and Council candidate for Waterside Rural. She spoke about her childhood, her work with Women’s groups, and her gradual attraction to the People Before Profit Alliance.
Most memorably she spoke of her father’s belief that "no-one should have two coats when some people had none", and of how that principle had guided her in work and politics. She ended by arguing the need to use elections such as this one as a way of bringing the battle right into the arenas where the currently powerful make their decisions.
Next was Richard Boyd Barrett, recently elected People Before Profit TD for Dún Laoghaire.
Richard began by pointing out that all the other parties, and the Establishment in general, always try to keep the issue of the Bankers’ responsibility for the current financial crisis separate from the question of Cuts. But, he insisted, both issues are linked: the Bankers and the rich caused this crisis so they should pay for it, not pensioners, not schoolchildren, not the sick, not students, and not the unemployed.
He went on to state that the main benefits of an electoral success such as his are the platform and the resources it provides to inspire and build action on the streets, because real change will only ultimately come from the bottom up, not the top down.
Eamonn McCann, People Before Profit candidate for the Foyle Constituency at the Assembly, then spoke.
Eamonn began by reminding everyone that most people at the time of the Good Friday Agreement believed that it and the "Peace Dividend" would mean a better life and more secure future for the next generation. Now, however, it seems as if several of our next generations will be paying for the current financial crisis, and as if they will never enjoy the lifestyles we have.
This negativity, said McCann, is mistaken. The "austerity" measures being pushed through by the Cuts Coalition in Stormont are completely unnecessary. What we need in order to get out of this crisis is more, not less, public spending – spending on such things as social housing, green industries, and infrastructure. And these should be paid for by getting those who caused the crisis – the Banks, the super-rich, the massive corporations – to pay their fair share.
McCann went on to call for a full Derry University, and said that such a call in these times must be part of the broader fight against the Education Cuts.
Finally Eamonn turned his attention to the Trade Unions. He pointed out that control over Thatcher’s anti-Union legislation was passed down to Stormont in the 1990’s. The Assembly and the Executive now have the power to overturn those laws, but no party or individual has ever even mentioned the topic in Stormont. He pledged that if elected, he would raise the issue at every opportunity.
Questions were then invited from the floor. These covered topics such as MI5’s role in the North, the value or otherwise of ILEX, and the possibility of a People Before Profit group in Inishowen. Members of the Socialist Party offered their support and best wishes to Eamonn in his campaign, and expressed their hope to see "a Derry cat amongst the Stormont pigeons."
One interesting fact that arose during the course of the evening was that two of our Council candidates were members of the Orange Order when younger. People Before Profit have already gone "beyond the Orange and the Green".
Finally, Paddy Nash joined Diane Greer at the front and they sang a new version of the Westminister Campaign song "People Before Profit" (see www.paddynash.co.uk).
This was a positive end to a positive evening. These are tough times, and getting McCann or any of our Council candidates elected will not be easy, but the mood in the hall was always upbeat and we all left feeling much more hopeful and energised.
Thanks to everyone who came, especially to Richard Boyd Barrett who had driven all the way up from Dublin.
See www.eamonnmccann.com for the latest news on the campaign
