Richard Boyd Barrett says Soc Dems and Sinn Féin are not answering his emails

LAST UPDATE | 2 hrs ago

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT leader Richard Boyd Barrett has said Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats have been ignoring his emails about working together as part of an alliance of parties on the left in the Dáil. 

Speaking to RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland programme, the socialist TD for Dún Laoghaire was asked if he wanted his party to be in government. 

He said he wanted to be part of a left government “if that government is actually going to improve the lives of working people”. 

Asked who his party would go into government with, Boyd Barrett said there should be a left alliance.

He said there is “a historic opportunity and necessity” to replace the major coalition parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. 

But he said he’s had a hard time communicating with other parties on the left of the political spectrum on the specific proposal of an alliance of left parties working together ahead of the next general election. 

He said that People Before Profit has emailed Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats “several times” about cooperating and that they “don’t get much of a response”. 

He said the party has emailed Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats, “those two certainly”. 

Pressed about whether the parties were replying, he said “not really, no, to be honest”.  

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“Now, what I will say, on a more positive note, is that in terms of broader coalitions like the Affordable Ireland Coalition, or, for example, the coalition that’s organising the Trump demonstration this weekend, which we’ll be involved in, we’re working very well together,” he added.

“Those are good signs of the capacity of the left to work together and seriously reflect, if you like, the desire for a different set of priorities and policies.

“So I do think it’s possible, and we’ll certainly be arguing very strongly for it.”

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman was asked if his party would be interested in an alliance for the next general election later on the same radio programme.

“There’s no alliance right now,” he said.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald was equally non-committal when she was asked about coordinating with parties on the left while speaking to RTÉ this morning.

Following the People Before Profit-Solidarity think-in in Dublin today, Boyd Barrett said he did not want to make too big a deal of the unreturned emails, but noted that his party was the only one that has ruled out going into government with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. 

He noted that other parties on the left have said they’re not going to rule out making deals with the two parties.

“Now, we think that’s a mistake, and it sends the wrong signal to people that they are hedging their bets, rather than cutting out a clear alternative for people,” he said when asked about the issue by The Journal this afternoon.

He said the presidential election victory of Catherine Connolly “demonstrated the capacity of a left alliance to actually win a majority support in an election”.

“So we are continuing to pursue that. I would like to see a bit more enthusiasm from other left parties, but we intend to continue to push it.”