'Anyone who is angry should vote'

An alliance of left wing councillors has called for "anyone who is angry to vote."

The alliance said voters in the upcoming elections should vote principally for left-wing community candidates, and to transfer their preferences "to anyone but Fianna Fail and Fine Gael".

The alliance, which includes former Labour TD Declan Bree of Sligo, Joan Collins of Dublin City Council, Richard Boyd Barrett of the People Before Profit Alliance and Cork councillor Chris O'Leary among others, is calling for a "new Left-Right alignment" in Irish Politics.

At its launch this morning Richard Boyd Barrett said members wanted "to get elected and hopefully give a pasting to Fianna Fáil and provoke a general election."

But he said there would be no "deals" with either of the major parties to attain power and he accused the current Opposition of planning "even more savage cuts than the Government."

Mr Barrett said action on issues such as hospital services, local education, the privatisation of public facilities and refuse charges had shown such an alliance did not need to do a deal to enter Government to be effective. "You don't have to trade principles for office", he said adding: "If you are angry use your vote".

Other speakers at the launch urged voters not to be apathetic about going out to vote. Community activist Hughie Lewis from Loughlinstown in South Dublin called on young people in particular to vote.

The alliance members said they supported a fair tax system with a levy on the wealthy and the abolition of all tax loopholes, the introduction of a higher tax rate for top earners and investment in public services such as health, education and public transport.

They are calling for free access to health and education as a right and reversal of recent cuts. They also want a halt to privatisation, the expansion of direct labour schemes by councils to provide efficient services and boost employment and for unemployed workers to be guaranteed retraining and access to education.

Empty homes held by developers and speculators should be used for social housing and community facilities according to the alliance. They want a halt to evictions and a freeze on mortgages repayments for those who have lost their jobs.

Finally they are calling for a radical programme to develop green energy and a national scheme of housing insulation to allow for energy saving and for the Corrib gas field to be taken into public ownership.