In praise of voice of the left Joe Higgins

'In a time of deceit," George Orwell wrote, "telling the truth is a revolutionary act." It could be a political epitaph for Joe Higgins. at least, one he would like. At 65, in order to ease the way for a Socialist Party comrade's byelection run, Mr Higgins has announced that he will not again be contesting the Dáil seat he has held on and off since 1997. But the departure from frontline political activity of this amiable, self-professed Marxist revolutionary and, at times, unlikely parliamentary star will leave the Dáil and politics a poorer place.

Like it or not, Mr Higgins represents a real longstanding minority tradition in the labour movement of radical socialist critique of the unfairness and poverty endemic to our society and of the “anarchy” of boom-and-bust capitalist production. An, of its unreformability.

That critique has for much of the history of the State been drowned out by the roar of nationalist demagoguery or by the stifling conservatism and complacency of our ruling parties. But it is an important part of a national dialogue that needs to be heard in our parliament, even if, in Mr Higgins’s case, critics would say, it takes the form of a somewhat simplistic, “undialectical” economic determinism that may correctly expose the flaws in our system but without offering convincing alternatives.

Although elected initially in Dublin West to the council and then the Dáil through tireless local campaigning on issues like water rates, he undoubtedly endeared himself to many more with his sharply pointed and often witty Dáil encounters with various taoisigh. Most famously his description of questioning Bertie Ahern as like "playing handball against a hay stack ...Your hear a dull thud but the ball never comes back to you", had particular resonance because of its essential truth.

His remarkable capture of a European seat in Dublin in 2009, and his successful campaign for €30 million in unpaid wages on behalf of Irish-based Turkish construction workers of GAMA were notable high points in a noteworthy political career. He will be missed.