ON THE CANVASS:Ideology takes second place behind anger but all agree it's curtains for Lenihan and Co, writes MIRIAM LORD
NOT EVERYONE wants a workers’ revolution.
But a lot would like a little revenge. And that’s where Joe Higgins steps in.
He was canvassing outside The Sacred Heart of Jesus Primary School in a wind bitter enough to try the most sacred of hearts. Bloody typical of the Fianna Fáil/Green government, he snorts, they couldn’t even manage to hold an election when the weather is half way decent.
But people still stopped to talk, despite the howling gale. It seems everybody knows Joe in Huntstown – he lives in the area and maintains a very high profile.
“I don’t agree with your politics,” said one man in a less-than-encouraging opening gambit. “But I sat down with the wife the other night, and for the first time ever we looked at each other and said: ‘who are we going to vote for this time?’” They concluded, he told Joe, it would be “none of the usual shower”. MEP Higgins, who lost his seat in Dublin West at the last election, is to be the beneficiary of their decision.
The leader of the Socialist Party is back in town now, and it looks like he’s staying. With an extra seat up for grabs in Dublin West, it is generally accepted that Joe is going to waltz with ease back into Dáil Éireann.
He seems none the worse for his sojourn in Europe, nor has his time in the fleshpots turned his head. One might have expected a more continental cut to his jib: a lightweight wool jacket, perhaps.
But no. Comrade Higgins pulled up for his canvass in a 19-year-old Toyota Corolla with a massive dent in the boot; his brown corduroy trousers flapping in the wind and the hood of his anorak hanging off.
He’s in great form. Even has time to praise Enda Kenny for the selfless way he allowed himself to be pictured in yesterday’s newspaper with one hand around the chest of a strapping Labrador pup and the other cupped inelegantly around the creature’s nether regions. “Looks to me like he was trying to save the carpet from an accident.”
He has a team of six canvassers. “They’re all young unemployed males from Blanchardstown,” explains activist Matt Waine. They stand on the wide footpath to each side of the school gates.
Parents gather to collect their kids. Before the exodus begins principal Seán Dempsey arrives outside. He looks very familiar and he is not a happy man.
Then the penny drops. It’s Seán, brother of former minister Noel Dempsey. The family resemblance is striking. So striking that the photographer does a double take, momentarily confused.
“He’s creating a traffic hazard” Seán tells us, looking over at where Joe is standing. “I’m going to tell him it’s inappropriate.” Oblivious, MEP Higgins chats to parents, mostly mothers wheeling buggies.
Seán asks him to move. Joe says he’s on public property. Seán says he’s creating a hazard. Joe says ‘that’s ridiculous” but he moves a little further away. A passing taxi driver beeps in support. A high percentage of non-Irish nationals attend the school. “Howaya Joe!” say the mammies.
Later, a teacher comes out and tells us Higgins “has always been around through the years and is a great supporter of this school. I think fair is fair.”
Seán returns with a clarification. He isn’t picking on Joe Higgins for party political reasons. “I’ve told them all to go . . . I told them to remove a Brian Lenihan poster off the gates.”
Audrey, two young girls in tow, says she’ll be giving Higgins her number one. “I’ll vote for him because he’s genuine. I went on the bin marches with him. I know he’s from Kerry, but he’s genuine.” Joe’s Socialist Party is part of the United Left Alliance (ULA), a grouping of left wing parties and like-minded Independent candidates. It includes People Before Profit.
They launched their campaign in Buswell’s Hotel yesterday morning. It will be spearheaded by Richard Boyd Barrett, Dún Laoghaire’s favourite leftie and candidate of choice among visiting overseas journalists who want to interview a representative of the group which says it offers an alternative to the political establishment.
Richard is charismatic and voter friendly and the mainstream parties dearly wish they could find similarly passionate and articulate representatives to plead their causes.
But creeping up on the inside is Cllr Joan Collins of Dublin South Central, who not only has a great name when it comes to voter recognition but also did her chances no harm when she was filmed berating Bertie Ahern outside Leinster House as he reminisced on his glory days in government.
Boyd Barrett says PBP is aiming to win “upwards of five seats”. One of his big hopes is Cllr Gino Kenny of Dublin Mid West, who was in bellicose mood. The IMF-EU bailout deal “has been a major declaration of war against working people,” he said, vowing that his party “will lead a major struggle” against tax hikes and “bring the war to the people of this country”. Higgins would be in full agreement.
But on the doorsteps in Huntstown, ideological arguments come a distant second to general anger with the government.
Grandmother Gina Ward says the cuts are hurting. Her daughter Siobhán’s hours have been slashed and looking at the family dog she laughs: “even Patch is suffering, he’s gone down to non-Pedigree chum”. While Gina is not a member of a political party, she is very politically aware and active in the community. She is an ardent supporter of Higgins. He also happens to live on the same street. That happens a lot, when you go canvassing with candidates.
Although Joe says he’s getting a good reaction in the more middle-class areas like Castleknock. “Oh Jesus, yes, I was out there on Wednesday. It’s not the Valhalla of the mega-rich that some say it is.” She may be a supporter, but Gina doesn’t really agree with all Joe’s ideas. She has him well sussed.
“He handpicks the houses and waffles the ear off you and he’s off again. But he’s a great aul skin.” Gina doesn’t think the worst of the likes of Leo Varadkar, who is in the same constituency, but says they don’t see much of the likes of him.
In her book, Joe’s solution to reject the IMF deal won’t work. “But at least he says things out straight. I couldn’t live under a socialist regime, but as a political figure, Joe is the best.” And she tells a story about the night a woman with five children, who had to leave her house, arrived at her door looking for help.
“It was 11.30 and I rang all the local TDs and got their answering machines giving their opening times. Joe arrived and he had to get out of his car by the boot because all the doors were broke. He took the family and found them somewhere to stay.”
What about Joe’s politics? “That’s not the politics we want, but it’s what we need at the moment.” She has no time for Brian Lenihan since the incident at the last election count. She had gone with friends to support Joe.
“This one arrived up from Castleknock, all done up, wearing a pair of dralon curtains. ‘Oh Brian’ sez she ‘even the working classes have voted for you’. I had to be restrained by Labour.”