Left wing AAA-PBP party seeks to end era of ‘tribal’ politics

The left-wing Anti Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit (AAA-PBP) party has said it will contest the general election with the hope of ending “the politics of cronyism, tribal politics and injustice”.

The party’s three outgoing TDs contesting the election said the problems which beset the United Left Alliance in the last Dáil would not be repeated.

Richard Boyd-Barrett, Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy pointed to the joint principles that they all subscribed to as well as asserting that AAA-PBP was a registered party, unlike the ULA.

They were speaking at the launch of the party’s manifesto in Dublin this afternoon, at which it set out its positions on housing, water chargers, property taxes, income taxes and the repeal of the 8th Amendment.

Asked was AAA-PBP condemning itself to being in opposition, Mr Murphy said it wanted to be in a left wing government but that would require a transformation.

"We think that that change and that government can come about. You look at Podemos in Spain and Bernie Sanders (in the US)," he said.

“Change is happening very fast. Sections of the media are not aware of the extent of radicalisation.

“In Dublin, we are at 10 per cent and close to becoming the third party.

“In order to be in Government we are not going to trade our pencils for ‘perks or Mercs’. We will hold out for a left government. That does not mean we condemn ourselves to be in opposition [INDEFINITELY],” he said.

Mr Murphy said the party was confident it would win the required seven seats to get speaking and other rights in the Dáil. The party says it has a good chance of a gain in Cork North Central, Limerick City, and several Dublin constituencies.

Ms Coppinger said there was a wide sense of betrayal among people in relation to the Labour Party.

“It is confirmed by the fact that they are stuck on 7 per cent. The Tesco ad is embedded in the minds of ordinary people,” she said, referencing Labour’s campaign of pre-election pledges in 2011.

Cllr John Lyons, a candidate in Dublin Bay North, said there were 2,000 children in Dublin living in temporary emergency accommodation because the Government had “slashed the budget” for housing.

Asked to identify their preferred coalition partners, Mr Boyd-Barrett said they would talk to any party that was willing to pursue the politics they were campaigning for.

He said the party was standing 31 candidates and its campaign was the “biggest intervention by the genuine left in the history of the State.”

Mr Boyd-Barrett said it would rule out the Labour Party as a partner: “How could you support a party that has betrayed every policy and principle that it has stood for.”