Campaign focuses on sovereignty

CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY:RESTORING NATIONAL sovereignty and "burning the bondholders" are the key campaign platforms for the Christian Solidarity Party, which has eight candidates; seven men and one woman.

Christian Solidarity said all other political parties with the possible exception of Sinn Féin have “sold out” to the “EU secular agenda”. The party favours transfers to Sinn Féin because of its opposition to the Lisbon Treaty and its agreement with other political parties in the North not to implement British abortion laws.

Meath West candidate Manus MacMeanmain said voters would decide where to transfer their votes but it would be “logical” to transfer to those who supported their “Euro-realistic” stance.

They would encourage voters to vote for anti-abortion candidates.

Party president Richard Greene said “our political class fell for the EU and they’ve led our people from a nation that broke away from an empire” to being “basically a colony of the EU”.

They wanted to run in “key constituencies” including two of the “most liberal” in the country, Dún Laoghaire and Dublin South. They were anxious to have a candidate in Cork because new leader of Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin “is one of the most pro-European politicians in the Dáil” .

The party has more than 300 members, each of whom pays an annual membership of €25. It also received private donations from members. The party hopes to run the campaign for about €10,000.

Its candidates are: Conor O’Donoghue, Limerick City; Paul O’Loughlin, Dublin Central; Daire FitzGerald, Dún Laoghaire; Michael Larkin, Dublin North West; Colm Callanan, Dublin South Central; Manus MacMeanmain, Meath West; Jane Murphy, Dublin South; Harry Rea, Cork North Central.