THE NEWLY formed United Left Alliance intends to run candidates in at least 14 constituencies in the general election, including Dublin MEP Joe Higgins and former Tipperary TD Séamus Healy.
The alliance was formed last October and its components include the People Before Profit Alliance, the Socialist Party and the Workers and Unemployed Action Group.
Spokesman Eddie Conlon told a news conference in Dublin yesterday that the alliance believed the Government’s policy of “prioritising the needs of the banks over the citizens” was wrong.
There should be a policy of “taxing the rich” because the ordinary workers had suffered enough.
He said the “private debts” of the banks could not be transferred to the taxpayers.
Richard Boyd-Barrett, a local councillor who is a candidate in Dún Laoghaire, said the alliance had called for a maximum limit on salaries in the public sector which should be set at €100,000 and not the €250,000 which the Government was said to be considering.
Mick Barry, a councillor who is running in Cork North Central, said the alliance “strongly supports” the call by the Unite trade union for a one-day general strike against the Government’s austerity policy.
“We are launching a petition on this issue, which has been signed by more than 50 trade union activists across a wide range of unions.
“Such a strike could bring down this Government and fire a warning shot across the bows of any incoming government,” Mr Barry added.
Paddy Healy of the National Public Services Alliance said the leadership of the union protest against the cuts last Saturday week had put forward “no next step whatsoever”.
A list of alliance general election candidates issued yesterday includes Mr Barry (Cork North Central); Mr Boyd-Barrett (Dún Laoghaire); Joan Collins (Dublin South Central); Joe Higgins MEP (Dublin West); Clare Daly (Dublin North), a councillor; Séamus Healy (Tipperary South), a councillor; Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West), a councillor; Séamus O’Brien (Wexford); Mike Murphy (Dublin South West); Cian Prendiville (Limerick City); John Lyons (Dublin North Central); Annette Mooney (Dublin South East); Conor Mac Liam, husband of health services campaigner the late Susie Long (Carlow-Kilkenny), and Brian Greene (Dublin North-East).
Mr Barry said the alliance “totally” ruled out coalition with either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael.